You lovely lot, I need advice, moving home

[Pegsonstrings]

Many moons ago I came over to the uk on a school trip and fell in love with it. I am Icelandic. I have been her many years or fifteen and counting. Up until a few weeks ago I would have laughed my head of if someone told me I would be thinking of moving back to Iceland. I really would have laughed. But, a week ago I came back from visiting my daughter and my grandchild and there was a shift in me. Now I am going from wanting to sell my belongings and pack a suitcase and go back to Iceland. But I am so rooted.

With all the price increase on all fronts over here I feel life in Iceland would offer more quality of life, but I could be so wrong.

Those of you who have moved back to your motherland after many years away, how did it impact you? Did it take you long to settle? And also my younger child, adult now and graduated is also in two minds of going back. Any advice from anyone who has done this would be great

If I had the choice, I would go & I'm a Brit! If you've got a 'pull' back home & want to be closer to family, I'd do it. You don't want to waste time missing out on family moments. 💕

I would go back.

I have moved a lot and lived all over the world. I chose to move back to the uk a few years ago after 20 years away. Pros. I really feel like I can put roots down and build a home. Cons. The uk I left was totally different. When I returned I did not know how to buy a bus ticket or understand the school system or anything. And somehow it is much harder to ask those stupid questions when you look and sound like a local than it did when I was a foreigner abroad. Also a bit harder to forge new friendships as the place I returned to was more settled and not full of transient expats looking to make new friends. I absolutely do not regret it though. Can you do it in stages? Spend six months there and see if you like it once the novelty wears off before you permanently commit?

Thank you all for the replies. Lots to think about.

I would always chose being near my dc and grandchildren over anything.

I'm a Brit but moved away for 13 years and then came back about 9 years ago

I adapted quite quickly to daily life but still took a while to stop comparing what I had etc and to convince myself it was the right thing to do but I did feel I missed out on what were friends having formed closer bonds while I was gone and even now I'm a bit of an outsider as I missed so much. I've lost touch with most of the friends I made where I lived and all mine now are 'new' and I don't have that proper long term bond

Some days I do wonder why I came back (usually when it's summer and raining 😂) but now I have a family I know it was the right thing to do as have support here and don't have any language barriers etc and I'm glad I had them here and not there

I have lived overseas for 13 years and plan to move back in two, so 15 in total- same as you. My DC were born here and are now 12 and 10. If I drew up a list of pros and cons and presented them to an objective observer, they might well say "stay where you are" but the draw of home is quite strong now. I feel a desire to be closer to family and honestly, just a draw to dark and rainy UK and British humour and culture. I watched Marcella and was rewinding it just to rewatch the south London street scenes where it's meant to be 5pm in winter and that light you just don't get here . It might be cheesy but it's true- "the heart wants what the heart wants".

Reverse culture shock is real as is Sad with less light. What it really comes down to is whether you can make friends there and whether your family will want you there.
I have done it and am struggling, simply because everyone else has moved on and things are different to what they used to be. I do hope it works out for you x