Has covid swung the balance of living abroad for you?

vivaespagne · 2021-12-19T08:50:53+00:00

Just wondering whether it's tipped you one way or the other. The whole situation with the changing rules and not being able to see our families as regularly as we'd like is just making me feel so hopeless and sad. My DH on the other hand thinks we're better off abroad because our country is handling the pandemic better than the U.K. (who isn't) and we're safer there. Just wondering how others are feeling.

Alaimo · 19/12/2021 09:32

We're abroad but scheduled to move back to the UK next summer. To be honest, I'm increasingly dreading the move back. Life here is more pleasant during covid times, lots of space, we live next to the forest, lots of outdoor activities even during winter... it's all helping me stay sane as other restrictions are (re)introduced. Also, most likely I'd move back to the UK 6 months before DH does and I'm really not looking forward to 6 months of uncertainty around if/when we'll be able to see each other.

MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2021 09:36

We could be somewhere that has had zero Covid pretty much and the mh take out is beginning to be more evident.

We are too tied here to swap with v good schools, friends and jobs to go but I really want to get to other side of this. It’s very arduous

iguanadonna · 19/12/2021 10:07

I feel like with Brexit and covid I'm in a situation that's far more difficult than I signed up for ten years ago.

I used to go back to the UK up to six times a year to see family and friends and for work stuff. Only one very short trip in the last two years. Feel so cut off from my ill parents, very elderly grandmother.

But at the same time I'm not at all sure I want to live there again. Feeling sad and torn in a way I never have before.

Lordoftheflyingpan · 19/12/2021 10:11

I’m from abroad, husband is British, but I’ve lived in the UK for 10 years now. The covid pandemic and Brexit have tipped the scales for us. We’re moving to my home country in a couple of weeks. I work in healthcare and this isn’t what I signed up for.

ratussbaguss · 19/12/2021 15:44

Thanks for your replies. I'm glad I'm not alone with this feeling. It's all very emotionally confusing really. And sad.

MissAmbrosia · 19/12/2021 21:43

Prior to Brexit - I would have planned to move back to UK for retirement, maybe sooner so dd could go to Oxbridge . With Brexit and now Covid and seeing how shit the Govt is, I feel safer where I am and have more confidence in the health and pension provision. I applied and got citizenship. Covid and the ever changing travel rules mean I haven't seen my family for 2 years. I miss "home" but I am not sure it the same as when I left it. I do feel confused about it. Dd will go to Uni next year and then maybe we will be faced with her having a career/getting married here etc. And then I won't know what to do.

SagelyNodding · 19/12/2021 21:49

Covid has really convinced me that I am better off abroad! I miss the UK, but it isn't the same country I left 16 ish years ago.
It's a sad and conflicting feeling as I really miss family and friends, but between COVID, Brexit, politics, NHS horror stories etc, my mind is firmly made up.
I still miss it though

Bitofachinwag · 19/12/2021 21:51

"Abroad" is a big place! Some countries will be worse, some will be better.

GoodnightGrandma · 19/12/2021 21:52

DH dreamed of retiring abroad, but this has turned us off the idea. I’d hate to not be able to get back to England if I wanted to.

Riverlee · 19/12/2021 21:55

To be honest, is anyone handling it well. A few months ago, Australia seemed to have got rid of it, and had returned to near normal (according to relatives). However, they had to go into lockdown, which they came out of a few weeks ago. Vaccination rates are lower than the UK. Now they’re talking of shutting state borders again..

Haven’t the Netherlands just imposed a lockdown as well, and travel is restricted in France.

At the moment, I don’t think the grass is greener anywhere.

daisypond · 19/12/2021 22:00

My BIL, the most English of English people, has lived abroad for many years for work and has now got citizenship of his country, something never to be thought of or desired before. He will never return to the UK to live, and doesn’t want to. It’s mainly due to Brexit.

MissAmbrosia · 19/12/2021 22:02

@Bitofachinwag

"Abroad" is a big place! Some countries will be worse, some will be better.

This is the Living Overseas topic though - so maybe aimed more at those affected than a general question.

SpringIsSprung1 · 19/12/2021 22:03

No but Brexit has.

Username7521 · 19/12/2021 22:07

We were chatting about moving just this evening. We are thinking of moving back to my partner’s country due to brexit and covid

Insert1x20p · 20/12/2021 03:08

I am British but live in Hong Kong. A lot of people are moving back to home countries (including UK) due to covid, or rather the pursuit of a zero covid strategy here which means that unless you can afford and accommodate a three week hotel quarantine, you cant leave, plus you live with the constant anxiety around testing and government quarantine. I don't know anyone that's regretted moving back so far. However, the caveat is that a lot of people were probably going to move back anyway, this just accelerated their plans somewhat. There are also complicating political factors. I have to say I really don't understand why anyone is still moving here, although I guess if it's new to you you can probably spend a couple of years here before you get very bored. We are moving back to UK. in a few years but that's mainly related to wanting the DC to stay in the same secondary school all the way through. Not being able to see family is a factor though.

onlychildhamster · 20/12/2021 03:16

I am actually quite glad to live in London where covid restrictions are less strict. Even during lockdown. My home country has a robot named Xavier being tested out on the population. It tells people that they have to wear masks and socially distance... I am happy to wear masks and socially distance, I just don't appreciate police robots but the people in my home country have no choice in that matter.

We might be headed towards lockdown in a few days in London but full lockdown in London is preferable to Xavier and 'social distancing ambassadors'

DropYourSword · 20/12/2021 03:26

@Riverlee

To be honest, is anyone handling it well. A few months ago, Australia seemed to have got rid of it, and had returned to near normal (according to relatives). However, they had to go into lockdown, which they came out of a few weeks ago. Vaccination rates are lower than the UK. Now they’re talking of shutting state borders again..

Haven’t the Netherlands just imposed a lockdown as well, and travel is restricted in France.

At the moment, I don’t think the grass is greener anywhere.

As someone now currently living in Australia, that’s quite a misrepresentation of what’s happening here. Not wanting to sound like I’m criticizing, as I wouldn’t have the nuanced details of how it is back in the UK either.

NameChangeNameShange · 20/12/2021 03:42

hmm difficult, we're also in Hong Kong and frankly I'd rather stay here than go home (whilst missing family massively) but that's shaped by friends who moved back and immediately went into lock downs and have had such a miserable time trying to settle. My two are teens and have so much freedom here, and really even in online schooling still maintained that freedom, so again that shapes my opinions.

But the quarantine here is ridiculous, and political as opposed to scientific and the place is changing massively and will continue to do so. Hong Kong will never again be that stereotypical golden expat posting.

We were always likely to stay until the kids finish schooling then back to UK, but actually its Brexit that has changed our plans. So now we'll stay til end of schooling but then go elsewhere as we have passport options that make that viable.

YellowMonday · 20/12/2021 04:03

@Riverlee

To be honest, is anyone handling it well. A few months ago, Australia seemed to have got rid of it, and had returned to near normal (according to relatives). However, they had to go into lockdown, which they came out of a few weeks ago. Vaccination rates are lower than the UK. Now they’re talking of shutting state borders again..

Haven’t the Netherlands just imposed a lockdown as well, and travel is restricted in France.

At the moment, I don’t think the grass is greener anywhere.

For anyone reading, this isn't correct. Yes, Australia started slow to vaccinated due to supply, but we are now making strides at 76% of population fully vaccinated. With UK under 70%.

There also hasn't been a lockdown in quite a while. State borders are reopening as states hit 90% minimum 16+ vaccination rates.

International borders are reopening, similar to green lanes. Quarantine has now been dropped for isolation until negative test.

While the latest variant our numbers are exploding, but we are holding the course on remaining open/reopening plans.

That being correct, I was an expat in Singapore when Covid hit, and I was pulled back to Australia by work. That experience of being in a hard lockdown alone without my family has really turned me off another international posting. At least for another decade.

Riverlee · 20/12/2021 07:31

Sorry I haven’t got the facts totally correct. It was a summary based ion text messages.

Guess all I wanted to say really was that everyone seems to be struggling with the pandemic, just not the UK.

notimagain · 20/12/2021 07:41

@Riverlee

“. and travel is restricted in France.”

I think I know what you mean but just to be pedantic (it’s Monday after all) can I point out travel here in France isn’t restricted ATM….

For us Covid has made getting back to see folks in the UK more difficult, though we have managed a handful of times in the last two years..otherwise looking at the balance of things we are quite happy to sit things out here.

.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 20/12/2021 07:46

I have two siblings who live abroad. Havn’t seen either since November 2019 and December 2018. Both are now planning to return to the UK for good in the next year or two. Basically, when they can get domestic/work issues tied up.

metalkprettyoneday · 20/12/2021 07:59

I’m British living in NZ . In 2020 I felt glad to be here because we had a normal life while Britain had all those lockdowns . But as it goes on and it gets longer and longer until we can see family and friends I start to wish I wasn’t so far away. But then I talk to family and hear all the negative things and tell myself to appreciate my life here. Just want it to be over so I can visit every other year.

Original poster

vivaespagne · 20/12/2021 09:05

Really interesting heading all these perspectives. I wonder if there's a difference between people living very far away from home eg Australia and people living close eg France - if you live far then you're not really expecting to be that connected to the U.K./visiting frequently whereas if you moved to France then you might have been used to very frequent quick and easy visits both ways. So I was never mentally set up to not see family and friends.

?

OP posts:

MarshaBradyo · 20/12/2021 09:08

Tbh op it’s still a massive blow.

We managed once a year but it’s also the impossibility of it.

And if it was France then possible over last couple of years?

With Aus / U.K. there’s no way to do it