Seriously thinking of this at the moment. Partly as work is utterley diabolocal and the weather also. Tell me about your experiences? Was it the best thing you ever did, did missing family and friends take ruin the experience? Tell me everyting immediately.

Thanks

Ed

1 year and 11 months in.

Moved with the missus to Tasmania – she is Aussie and was offered a job.

I needed to get my Visa sorted and all that but made left the UK on the 29th Feb 2012 🙂

Plus sides, life is different
We have scaled back and now both work part time with not to much of a knock to our standard of living.
The weather is better
It was a great thing to make some changes in life

Work has been hard for me to find and that has made it tougher
Leaving friends and family is tough and the time difference and cost of getting here makes it harder
There is the same shit as in the UK – it’s everywhere

Emigrated to Germany just over 5 years ago, best thing I ever did. My only regret is that I had thought about it for many years but never did, I could have done it 10 years before I did. I was even offered an interview with the company I ended up working for 7 years before I eventually moved out here, and declined it at the time as I was unsure about the move.

The biggest difference is the working culture, it just isn’t as abusive as it is in the UK, it is far from perfect, but it just doesn’t consume your life with fear, leaves me in a much happier state of mind to take into non work life. Maybe I have just been lucky landing the job I have, but my experience seems to reflect that of a lot of my friends.

Weather here isn’t that much different to the UK, summer usually a little warmer, winter a little colder both a little dryer. There is a much better sporting culture and facilities.

Been living in Perth, WA for nearly 8 years now. In that time I have been back to the UK once to remind myself what I wasn’t missing. Minimal family back home and have made loads of friends here.

Bit bored of Perth now so contemplating a move somewhere with better riding and less sunshine.

In Perth, Australia for 2 1/2 years now.

Miss the friends, riding buddies, sometimes the family 🙂

As Mike says, you still have to work (or worry about being in it for much longer) pay bills etc but living somewhere else does change you perspective on where you came from and gives you the opportunity to do and see different things on a longer term basis than just a holiday.

I’d recommend it, the attitude we had is that the worst that can happen is you move back home, which isn’t an admission of failure or anything, just that you’ve been over the other side of the fence and seen it/done it.

There’s postivies and negatives to every location in the world….

Bit bored of Perth now so contemplating a move somewhere with better riding and less sunshine.

Funny I am thinking something similar, making the move once had made me realise how open the world is, there really are a lot of possibilities out there to experience, why limit yourself by some outdated ideology of nation.

moved to england from scotland at age 11, faced loads of bullying at school with ‘jock McC*ck, where’s yer sporran, what ya having for lunch, Haggis?’ I had to get tough quickly and was often in the headmistress’ office for fighting 🙁
It’s a bit warmer down here though. I say do it!!! 😉

Twice, made me appreciate the UK a lot. Many different types of grass to experience around the world, not all of them are greener though!

Moved to France for a year, if that counts. Loved it, but there was a massive amount of red tape to contend with. But then again, what do you expect in La Belle France!

Nz 14 years ago, like has been said before it’s about attitude and the reason for why you go. I have worked with many many expats – the optimists, the moaners, the ambivalent. Sadly life goes on but new experiences are not a bad thing. Also depends on your personal circumstances, I did it when I was footloose and fancy free, having acquired a wife and family your priorities change and this is not home. My wife is from the UK as well but met her here, it would be different if one of us was from here. Lifestyle is one thing but your life is never static so give it a whirl if you fancy it.

I love France and the French but I worked in Paris for 2 years, which was long enough to know that:

A: I enjoy my own culture too much and Britain is a very unique country with possibly the best balance of qualities in the world.

B: Just because Paris is a short hop across the Channel from London doesn’t mean you can just up and work there – the business culture is very different and it’s true that over 50% of Parisians live alone – it was the loneliest and most stressful time of my life, by a long chalk.

I also lived and worked in Spain for a year and never really settled down; I found Spaniards irritating and childish but that’s probably because I was homesick.

Been in Madrid for over 17 years now, and can’t see myself returning. It’s close enough that family and friends aren’t a huge problem – and that’s a lot easier these days anyway what with Skype and Facebook, compared to when I first came here.

Downsides: Spain’s economy is pretty awful, although my sector (IT) is holding up more or less. Spain (or at least Madrid) can be pretty chaotic, things like speed limits or littering are often considered optional. (This may or may not be a problem, I’ve got used to it and like it, but I’d imagine a (stereotypical) German would have a heart attack after a couple of weeks…)

Upsides:
Guaranteed hot summer, cold winter. Although it’s been pissing down for the past month and is snowing/sleeting right now.
Bar culture (shame about the beer, but it’s slowly improving…)
Spanish women 8)
Mountains
Great road and mtb riding

But… as has been pointed out: “There is the same shit as in the UK – it’s everywhere”. Getting up on a Monday morning, it’s raining, I’ve got to go to work to pay the mortgage…

Have done a couple of times. Went to Russia for a couple of years in the early ninties. Caribbean for a couple of years after that. Was footloose and fancy free then though so had no plans further out than having a good time.
Since aquired and Wife and two kids and have moved to Melbourne. I guess on past history I am due a change. Having Kids and Wife make a hell of differnce though. Things need to be planned, organised and sanitised these days. Schooling is a vry big thing. It was heartbreaking seeing one of them struggle to make friends. No fault of the other kids, just a shy little boy.

I would always tell anyone thinking about this kind of thing to give it a go. If nothing else you should aquire a few good beer stories to bore the people back at home.

Grass is always greener innit.

Sounds from the OP like you are tempted by push factors rather than ‘pull’ factors – in my mind it’s better to go because you are drawn to something positive not because things are a bit crap here.

Just returned from 2 years in NZ.
Make sure you move to a place because you want to live there not because you don’t want to live here.
You and your family have to be committed to making it work. Saw some awkward scenarios of one person loving it and one person hating it.
You will burn cash in the first few months.
Move as much of your stuff as you can (see above)
Obviously research housing costs
Don’t tell everyone until you’ve committed, don’t slag off the uk when you’ve left
If you aren’t sure plan a sabbatical type break to test the waters
We found it tough dealing with elderly parents a long way a way.
We have returned to the uk there’s a fIr chance we will go back at some point.

Depends how the vote goes in September.

I’ve got 3 lots of friends who’ve emigrated to BC, Alps and rural Spain respectively. All mountain bikers, all been away for at least 5 or 6 years, and I’m pretty certain none of them are ever coming back. My feeling is that as time goes on and they look back at the UK, they’re all more and more confident they’ve done the right thing for them.

I moved from Canada to the UK 11 years ago, and that was after having left Canada for the West Indies five years earlier (and returning).

There is a great deal that I gained from the move, but even after all this time, I ache for proper winter, I miss the open space and being able to drive down empty roads (there is no such thing in Britain), and I miss the laissez-faire social attitude. As a bit of a libertarian, I find people telling my children to stop climbing trees makes me violently angry, and the only time I ever experienced such a thing in Canada was from a visiting Englishman.

The culture shock can be tough at times, but if you are realistic about the fact that you gain things by moving as well as lose things, then migration can be a wonderful experience.

Twice, Greece from 2003 until 2012 (because we wanted to) and Switzerland 2012 until now (because we had to)….maybe after the vote last Sunday maybe on the move again 🙂

Best thing I (we) ever did. Changes you as a person. But I always say, when in Rome…Don’t expect everyone to change to your British ways. You have to be willing to adapt to differences.

Think moving to a country where you speak the lingo is a massive massive bonus, unless one of your speaks the local. For me it’s been a case of learning new languages…good, but a pain in the harris…although now I’m fluent in DeutschGreeklish.

I moved to Alberta Canada in 2006 with my then wife and son. At first I loved the adventure of it, the Northern Lights were above my house every night of the week in the winter. I took a gap year from working and just enjoyed life for a while. Having seen most of Western Canada included the Yukon and NWT, we decided to move to Eastern Canada in 2007. I enjoyed being by the coast again and the pace of life in the Maritimes.

2011 wife decided that her ball was better off in someone else’s court.
I missed family while I was out there a lot and living near Europe also. So I decided to move back to the UK Jan 2012. Since being back my mum has become ill with Alzheimer’s and the beginning of this year we put her in long term care.

I went back to visit my son in Canada xmas just gone. Kind of miss Canada and the pace of life in the maritimes.

I was contacted by a Canadian company a few weeks back. I’ve had two interviews last week and they asked for references. I now face the prospect of going back out there.

Good bits:-
The space
Relaxed lifestyle
Affordable housing

Bad bits:-
It can get very cold in winter (obviously)
It can get expensive to heat houses in the winter.
Food I think is a little more expensive.

There is one overriding factor. Having lived another life in another country, I’m currently struggling to make a decision as to where I want to live? It’s not as if I don’t love the mother land. I love the UK.

Anyone else have that problem. I’m really struggling at the moment.

and before someone posts random stuff the price of a pint and a liter of fuel is not a true representation of cost of living 🙂

NZCol, you are a complete reverse copy of me!

From Welly, now in our 14th year in the UK, and met and married a kiwi over here!

However, after many years of living with our heads in two hemispheres we’ve now bitten the bullet and decided on staying put in the UK. Kids are firmly in school and we have a great life here.

I guess there’s still not a week that goes by without wondering, just a wee bit, how life would be at home.

The weather’s pretty rubbish, but that’s not the reason we came to the UK in the first place.

I have worked with many many expats

Expats and immigrants can be very different things! Expats don’t have such a good attitude and don’t have as good an outcome imvho…

Britain may have terrible weather but we don’t get extreme heat or cold or biblical rain lashing down for days and days like in the tropics, where your possessions will go green with mildew in the humidity. We don’t have earthquakes or huge forest fires or serious droughts or nasty animals that eat humans. Most people are law-abiding, which is a good thing now that there are no Police on patrol to keep up the fear of a random check. We are amongst the most tolerant and welcoming people in the world and we have more charities and help organisations that any other nation, by a long chalk. We have decent food and great beer, not the Europiss you find everywhere else. According to a couple of my French friends we are astonishingly musical and have spawned more composers and performers than any other nation. Our classical and pop music are the envy of the world – see Last Night at the Proms, Glastonbury etc, which are massively successful. If you walk around London or any British city and look at the names on the doors of big buildings you’ll realise that we are still pre-eminent in many fields with a better developed and regulated society than most other countries.

What do I hate about Britain? Intolerance, bigotry and the entitlement culture.

What question do you think your answering there globaliti? The op requested experiences of people who have emigrated, not the spouting of bombastic nationalistic nonsense. If you hold such views then moving abroad will never work out.

10 years in Rural Spain, absolutely brilliant! (with the usual ups and downs of life of course)

back in the UK now but will be going back again in a few years.
a lot depends on the type of person you are and your situation regarding career,family, friends and relations etc

one thing I would say is if things are not what you want here why not try it?
The only things I regret are things I didn’t do as opposed to things I did 🙂

If you walk around London or any British city and look at the names on the doors of big buildings you’ll realise that we are still pre-eminent

PUSH
PULL

I lived in Germany for a year for work. It was fun and I learned a lot about living away from the UK.

The biggest advice I would have is that as others have said look for a pull factor not just a push. I found that when I went I discovered that a lot of the problems I had in the UK moved with me. It was my persective. I learned a lot about myself and came back with a new persective on life. It helped me grow up a lot.

Yes.
To England.

I moved from Derbyshire to Lancashire some time back.

Bad bits.
They talk funny
They think they’ve got hills, don’t make me laugh.
Rugby and Football.
Worst drivers in Britain
It’s next to Merseyside

Good bits
It’s near Derbyshire
I suppose it’s easier to get to normal places (this is actually why I moved, it’s a bit isolated up in the Peak District, especially in winter)

You need to have a reason to emigrate, not just fleeing problems or situations. You also need a very open mind and try not to construct a little Britain where you decide to move to.Moved to Luxembourg 2.5 years back.

Bad bits
Far more manual than I am used to (everything paid by bank transfer, little/no online payments etc)
Tiny country, can be quite insular/closed minded at times
Total change of pace to life, Sundays are like the UK 20 years ago
Dickhead ex-pats who tell me how crazy I am to have left the UK and tell me they’re going back “soon” (they never will go back, life here is too good to them) and how the locals are awful

Good bits
People are generally friendly
Food is great both in supermarkets (very French in style) or in restaurants
At the heart of Europe geographically so can be in the alps or the UK in 6 hours, Paris for lunch etc.
Standard of living in general very high
5 minutes from the city, you have fairly open access forests and countryside
A bad commute is still 50% of the time of a good commute from when I was in London

I’ve been a bit of a nomad with my job, 10 years of mainly being abroad, although not exactly the same as emigrating.

2 years in Serbia, 6 months in Oz, 18 months in Brazil, a year commuting to and from Italy, 6 months in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, just over 4 years currently in India.

Plan to come back to the UK permanently in around 6 months time.

Cheers, Rich

Spent 4 months in Holland and had the time of my life. Made lots of friends and had a decent job. Not long after i met a Finnish girl and I decided to move to Finland from the UK.

Good bits:
-good snowboarding (park)
-learnt to xc ski
-walk on the icy sea
-ride snowmobiles in the woods
-People will speak English if pushed
-Good sports culture. People are in better shape here than in the UK
-Finnish women

Bad bits:
-Food is bland
-Food quality is poor
-Beer is usually poor
-Driving is boring here
-People are unfriendly, rude, lack spontaneity and have no initiative
-Very nationalistic
-Finnish evening language courses are generally awful (bad teachers), but the language schemes for the unemployed are great (if oversubscribed)
-Finnish men

You need to have a reason to emigrate, not just fleeing problems or situations.

People keep saying this, but I disagree. “Life’s a bit shit and I want to change it” is a perfectly good reason IMHO.

There seems to be some modern paranoia about planning and rationalizing all of life and the decisions we make. I think it comes from those who write self help books with silly titles, trying to sell a secret to life that doesn’t exist.

Often a bit of dreaming and hoping for something better is the best way to deal with life, sometimes you just need to go with the flow and see where you end up.

Moved to Switzerland in 2007…wife is swiss. We now have a son and are v happy.

We go back to Scotland from time to time but dont get any pangs of ‘oh god i miss the uk’.

However, i wouldnt move just because you have 1 month of rain.. or work is going through a bad patch.. grass green etc.. all been said before.. if you want to go and experience somewhere different then go!

I love France and the French but I worked in Paris for 2 years, which was long enough to know that:

Paris is not indicative of how most of the French live?

Funnily enough, all my friends who have had to move from Montpellier up to Paris to work, are all back down south. The longest one of them lasted was 18 months, not so much because of the daily work routine (to make ends meet, they work far longer hours here), but because they missed the southern outdoor lifestyle that they left behind.

Interesting replies here people. As well as push factors I do also see a number of pull factors. For example the standard of life in Canadia. So contray to my OP which was negative I do feel attracted to living somewhere else.

People keep saying this, but I disagree. “Life’s a bit shit and I want to change it” is a perfectly good reason IMHO.

I meant in the situation of “Wherever I go, I’m always there”. You can’t just run away from issues that are about you rather than “Life’s a bit shit…”. If you are stuck in a rut, you’ll easily get stuck in a rut elsewhere unless you work out how you ended up like that. Of course, it might be more fun to be stuck in a rut somewhere new 😉

As for Paris, it’s French but has its own feel a bit like London feels quite distinct from other parts of the UK. To be honest, if I was going to move to France, I’d be looking at Lyon right now, it’s a really interesting city.

I disagree, I just think that advice is a cliche, if your stuck in a rut, even of your own making, jumping ship and changing countries can be an excellent way to kick start a new beginning, and far more likely to have a happy ending than just keeping on doing the same thing.

Not if you don’t understand how you ended up like that. Crappy anecdote time. I got talking to a bloke last year in a bar here who was from the UK. He’d moved for a change as he thought his life wasn’t going anywhere back home because he never had enough money to buy a place, couldn’t keep a stable relationship etc. So he moved to Luxembourg, and just fell into the same lifestyle as at home, spending all his money, stuck in the same trap as he’d been in before, working hard to make ends meet but spanking out loads each month on going out etc. His new plan was to move to the far east. I hope it worked out if he went but a bit more looking at his situation might have been good too.

Anyway, this isn’t a psychology forum, so whatever works for people is fine I suppose.