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Confused on wether to stay or move

7 replies

Rezrex · 25/09/2018 13:21

This is more of a me trying put down my thoughts since I'm not sure who to talk about it with. I will obviously talk with my bf, but I need to gather myself first.

I'm from Scandinavia and my bf is from the UK. We met when I was an exchange student. After the exchange period I had to go back home to finish school and get some work experience. Last year I moved to UK to get my post grad degree.

We didn't struggle during the distance too much at first. We are both independent and I was young so meeting up for holidays almost every month was fun. We never had a specific plan but we both knew we wanted to be together and eventually share a life in the same place. As the time went by I started to feel that distance is getting too much. We really struggled with making a plan so I decided to apply for post grad in the UK so we can really see if we are good together. The year has been good. There has been ups and downs. After living alone for a long time it was a bit of an adjustment but we found our groove.

Graduation is here and we had a talk about our future. He was very concentrated on the immediate future whereas I was trying to find out about long term plan. I've always been open about wanting to settle down in my home country but being happy to live abroad for a few years. We talked about how I could work in the UK for a few years while he could start university, save some money and then relocate. Great plan! Except now I'm having a lot of doubts and anxieties. My heart feels heavy and I'm getting mood swings. I've gotten a few rejection letters and I feel this sense of relief. I've also noted that I've started to think "when I get home im gonna...". It was not helped by my parent being hospitalised and feeling terrible for not being there. I'm a big girl. Shouldn't I be able to be away from mommy and daddy for a few more years? Especially since my bf is the one making the big move?

The thing is that I'm not convinced that he actually wants to move. I really think that he really wants to believe he wants to move. The way he is talking and acting is not someone who is about to move to a foreign country in a few years. I don't want to "wait and see" anymore since we have had that the begining of our relationship and it was fine then. I want a solid plan (obviously flexible based on life situation) and not wonder if we are in this situation again in 2 years.

If I made a pro/con list it would definitely make more sense to live in the UK. I speak the language, my skills are more transferable, I have an UK degree, I'm younger and I'm more adaptable. I also really like UK, but speaking English all the time is tiring, I like knowing how things work, I like the feeling of just being instead of having to concentrate all the time. It's a place I enjoy for a prolonged holiday but not necessarily to live.

All this has brought on to me to really wonder the relationship and I have so many doubts now. I'm so happy with him when talking about the near future, but I have trouble imagining us long term. Shouldn't I be happy anywhere if I'm with the right person? Are we pushing for our relationship because we really want us to work instead of aknowleding that maybe we are not meant to be? I don't know if this is just self protection relating to location or something else.

I'm so torn. I don't know if this is just nerves of change. Or if this is my gut telling me something. I can't imagine going back to distance, i cant imagine being here with him and I can't imagine being anywhere without him. It's so hard to apply for jobs, read about bureaucracy, brexit, taxes and all of that when I'm not feeling totally comfortable. On top of this, I have a job offer back home and I need money, so this decision has to be done soon.

OP posts:
Aussiebean · 25/09/2018 13:33

Nothing wrong with wanting to be at home with the family no matter what your age is. Especially if they are ill
Or elderly.

Being with someone you love, in a country you don’t want to be in will only lead to resentment. I say that because I moved to the uk from Aus. It is exhausting and i speak the language. So much you don’t get. The cultural references, the different meanings for the same words. I can’t imagine how it would be having to translate everything.

So far you have done all the moving away. It sounds like you want to go home now and if he wasn’t in the picture, you would be there. You wouldn’t actually be in the uk without him.

It is possible he won’t want to move for you. But you need to have the conversation now.

Rezrex · 25/09/2018 14:45

@aussiebean Thank You. I think it would be a lot easier if I truly hated being here and/or he flatout said that he doesn't want to move to my homecountry. He says that it is an option in a few years (but I'm not sure he truly is ready for it). I was ok with this plan previously but now I'm feeling very anxious about it. It is true that I would not be in the UK if it was not for him, but it is the same the other way around. Even more diffucult for him. He did try to relocate previously, but he is not particularly employable without further education (and I'm not sure if his heart was in it). Therefore it made more sense for me to move to the UK. We are both quite realistic so we wanted to live together before making totally life changing decisions. This living together has not clarified things to any direction. I don't like or feel good about any option.

OP posts:
StormTreader · 25/09/2018 15:32

Hmm, I suspect he is waiting you out - he's expecting that after a few years you'll decide to just stay in the UK after all because you've gotten used to it now.

Does that seem at all possible, or likely? If there's zero chance of that then I'd question you not just making plans to go home soon, tbh. If its going to not work because he won't actually leave the UK and you must, then may as well do it sooner than later.

anotherangel2 · 25/09/2018 15:39

How are this language skills? I also suspect he thinks you will just cave and stay in the UK. If you have a child together in the UK ypu would be stuck in the UK unless he agreed to you and your child moving home.

Aussiebean · 25/09/2018 15:58

His use of the word ‘option’ makes me think he isn’t serious any time soon.

If he has decided that this was going to happen then he needs t actually make plans to do so.

Ie - make sure his language skills are up to scratch or that he has some.

He should be networking in his area over there and making contacts.

He should be visiting and looking at areas you could be living in.

There is so much ground work needed with relocating that it would be a sign that he was actually taking the idea seriously

Rezrex · 25/09/2018 16:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rezrex · 25/09/2018 17:17

@Storm I do think that he hopes that I decide to stay in the UK. But I really don't think he is stringing me on with no intention to move. I honestly believe that he really thinks he is ok with moving, but deep down there is something that he is pushing so far back that he doesn't aknowledge until absolutely necessary. He really likes the lifestyle in the country, but I can't really blame for having douts about language, culture, being away from home etc.
Objectively thinking it is possible that I could want to stay in the UK, but it is unlikely. But at the moment I have such moodswings that it doesn't feel good at this specific moment.

@anotherangel2 We have no intention of having kids until we are really settled into a location (if even then). His language skills are practically just few words here and there.

@Aussie the word option bothered me. The option word came from more practical aspect. Such as if he can find work, his parents health etc. You are really hitting the nail in the head with the things that have an effect on me thinking he doesn't want to do it. But then again he is looking into schools that would help with employment. So he is doing something and this is relatively new decision so I can't blame him on not doing anything yet. Also, last time when he was applying jobs to get to me, I thought that he wasn't doing much. But turns out that he was applying but getting rejected. He just didn't want to dissapoint. We have since improved communication (this issue is not the best example)

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