[willsken]

My Mum and Dad are coming for lunch on Sunday and it has made me feel sad. :(
I love reading the threads about peoples reasons for emigrating as it helps keep me focused as to why we are doing this. Is there anyone who will share their reasons with me and help keep my dream on track? :confused:

[Avalon]

My husband alsways had a really good answer as to why it went on his holidays (this is before we were together, but it helped me adapt too). He always wanted to travel and in his words "wanted to find somewhere to stay". When people asked him why he did it he said:

"Because I can, and it's there".

For me it was a bit more practical - all to do with actually falling in love with New Zealand as a tourist (actually NOT the same as being a resident), and actually feeling that I could live here. Also feeling that my parents would have a better live here in retirement than in the UK. I never actually wanted to emigrate from the uk as such - I just wanted to live in New Zealand (if that makes sense).

For me also, it was the fact that I would be saying goodbye to people that made the decision so much harder, but you know what - even though it has been painful for me - I AM glad i did this. Not only have I proved to myself that I CAN do something like this, but I keep learning new things about myself and what I can accomplish.

Its not always an easy ride for me (it is for some people - im just not one of those people) but it is worthwhile. You never know what you are capable of until you try!

{{{HUGS}}}

[Moorf]

Hmm reasons... because life's too short for "what if's", because this really is a beautiful country and because you CAN ... and you have the balls and wherewithall to give it your best shot.... try not to be sad, be happy for all the adventures ahead and for being able to share them with your family. Get THEM excited about visiting you and your new life too. :nice1

Having said that, a good cry and sharing of feelings (so easy to keep them in despite everyone feeling sad and needing to get it out of their systems), can often be good for all concerned, once I got passed this stage with my family it was so much easier to talk about the subject without mine, or my mothers, voices cracking....

[veronica]

My reasons are probably totally different to yours but.
You only get one life and should take every chance to do stuff.....if you don't do this now you have set the chain of events moving, you will spend a lot of the rest of your life doing the 'if only' thing

But as to NZ. yep it seems a good place to be at this moment in time, the general attitude to life seems to have a lot more leisure in it, the people are friendly, the scenery is fantastic. won't say to much about the money, but most of all its an adventure, a new experience. Don't forget your mum and dad are only as far away as the phone. and for physical presence a 30 hour time lag away.

[katandbob]

Hi my reasons are that I gave one dream up once for the sake of the relatives, and now the kids are saying we should have gone! now they see the logic in my reasons for wanting a better lifestyle for them than what we have here and the fact that they would be hard pressed to achieve even that....as they say you only live once, Live to play not to work, and hopefully the rellies will visit (my daughter and soon to be born 1st grandson will be staying in the UK)
So I know all about the heart wrenching feelings, we have just celebrated her birthday, and we gave her a video/camera phone, so I can get txts, video msgs from her and baby, and we will do the same, we have pc's web cams etc. so when we do get there the top on the list for selection of housing is supply of Broadband!

[StevieD]

Don't worry we all get it! Just consider what the world would be like if we all stayed put - mankind has always ventured, just think along the lines that you are carrying on that tradition. Onwards and upwards....

Steve

[gil]

Hi Nicola,

Wobbles are only to be expected! This is such an emotional decision, nothing logical about it to my mind.

So why do we (I) want to go? There are lots of reasons, some "drawn to NZ" some, ""drawn away from UK", so bear with me as I try to describe them.

I am a fairly adventurous person and have lived in France and Italy in the past (not that far away, I know, yet still challenging to uproot, plus the language complications!), so I have always thought in terms of moving further afield as part of lfe's rich tapestry of experiences.
Steve and I were becoming restless (NOT really hacked off) with life in the UK: the decline in moral standards, our perception of the lack of values that chime with us in the generations coming through etc.
I have a really good friend (also Nicola) who emigrated to NZ about 6 years ago, and we've kept firmly in touch. She kept suggesting it would be a great move for us as a family. Another really close friend used to spend two months (Feb -Mar) every year with Nicola, and she got us looking at property websites for NZ. She would have emigrated at the drop of a hat, but for the fact that she had secondary cancer which meant she would never get accepted by NZIS. (She tried all ways to get around it, with doctor's letters, commitment to buying all her own medication, support from Nicola (whose husband is a doctor specialising in palliative care) but it didn't work.) Very sadly, she died in April 2003, so there grew in us a sense of "life's too short not to".
We had been looking seriously into moving to France (my degree is in French, and I could do the sort of training work I do there,too). It was the lifestyle we wanted. However, for the rest of the family, the prospect of living and working in French was quite off-putting.
Another issue that prevented us moving before was my ex-husband. He was OK for the two girls to go abraod on holidays, but refused to give permission for them to live abroad permanently. Again sadly, he passed away a couple of years ago, which cleared the way for us.

So, after I had been dabbling with the points calculator on the NZIS website for some time, and we realised we were coming up to the age of 45 (after that, you start to lose points) Steve took the plunge and filled in the EOI....and the rest is history.

Hope that makes sense!
Gil

[willsken]

Thanks everyone. As I said it just helps to be reminded of all the reasons we want to go.

I know Mum and Dad are already making plans to come and stay and they are being very supportive of us. This makes things a lot easier.

I think I am struggling with this time of year. The dark nights and miserable weather. In my heart I know we are making the right decision for all of us and we are really excited about it all.

I had my chest x-ray today and all was ok. That was the last of it as far as the medicals are concerned. I'm just waiting for my teacher registration to come back and then I can send in all the paperwork. Then I think I will relax a little bit. (Well, we then have property to sell so that will bring its own stress I suppose!!! :roll )

Again I thank you for your time. :D


In truth when I think about it, reading about how bad things look for the exchange rate for the next few months probably don't help either!!! :no

[Smiler]

Nicola

Everyone else has said it all and it includes a lot of our reasons for coming here, but the real main reason was because we liked it and we can.

Believe me I had a severe case of the wobbles, so don't expect this to be your last one.:uhoh But keep thinking it through, make those plans, research as much as you can.

It's brilliant that your parents are making plans too.

You all have so much to look forward to but most of all try and enjoy the experience, good and bad. (I hope that makes sense)

D x

[Diny]

Nicola

If I had a dollar for every time I had the wobbles (and still have them) then I'd be flyings back and forth between UK & NZ first class every month !!!!!!!!

I can't really put my finger on the exact reason we moved out here. The fact that I have a Kiwi spouse who felt the urge to return home obviously has a huge amount to do with it. If it wasn't for him I doubt I'd have thought about moving out here to live.

I too have lived abroad before and have travelled to some far flung corners of the world. Never one to settle in one place for too long I'm happy to be here. I can't honestly say that (for me) NZ is the be all and end all - (I'm one of those rare characters that will always put good old blighty at the top of my list of places to live) - but this is a wonderful country.

Like so many people have said - and I always agree with them - it's something we just had to do. I wasn't prepared to find myself a few years down the line with those feelings of 'what if'.

The parent issue for me is the biggie. Mum, Dad and me are joined at the hip and leaving them behind has been like mourning a death for me. However, I have downloaded voip buster onto my laptop which enables me to call home free of charge every day, e-mails, webcams and every other type of modern technology you can muster up keeps us in touch and makes everything so much easier.

Also ....... 4 weeks today Mum & Dad arrive for a 9 week holiday !!!! Yee haa !!!!!!

You'll be right - just ride them wobbles.

Diny

[Debbie]

Nicola,
Like Diny, I could have been a rich woman if someone would pay me for every wobble I have. I think on a good day I wake up with doubts, find inspiration and go to bed enthused but I have as many days where I wake up enthusiastic, find problems and go to bed with doubts.
I am trying to look at everything with a tourist eye, this is hopfully our last winter in the UK for some time but often there is a sence of mourning. Not the cheerful responce you were looking for BUT:-
As I've said elsewhere we go because we can and we are privilaged to have that chance. If it doesn't work out as a long term future for us then the experience alone will be enriching for us and for our kids.
And a bit like Gil, 18mths ago I was at the funeral of a dear aunt who died aged 40 and it brought home that you have 1 life and it's for living. OH and I were already at a cross roads in our lives and I realised that fear was causing us to play it safe and preventing us from living our dreams. My aunts eulogy brought home that you are remembered for the things you do, (regardless of whether they work out or not).
Families and wobbles, it's a difficult one and I send you {{{hugs}}}. Going to NZ will enrich your life, (but probably not your bank balance), a child fulfilling their potential is what every parent wants. My parents, like yours will be very proud of you, but I know my parents wish I could find a way of doing this closer to home.
Hope you feel better soon.
Debbie

[willsken]

It's great that I feel better already. My friend has just been round and we have talked a lot about NZ as she is hoping to move there in 2007. (If all goes well.)

It was a wobble and one of the first I've had. As every encouraging word you have all given me has convinced me I KNOW I'M DOING THE RIGHT THING!! :D

[/QUOTE] Also ....... 4 weeks today Mum & Dad arrive for a 9 week holiday !!!! Yee haa !!!!!! [QUOTE\]

Diny, I can almost feel your excitement!!!!!! :clap

[David with a dream]

Hi Nicola

Like every one else we had the wobbles before we went, then wobbled and came back. Now we really know NZ is what we both want and will go back and live it. For many many reasons but one very important one, that is our kids. And reasons don't come more important than that. ;)
Enjoy your life to the full and be happy with what you do and where you are.

David :nice1

[Avalon]

In truth when I think about it, reading about how bad things look for the exchange rate for the next few months probably don't help either!!! :no

Im not sure if this will help at all, but it may be worth think about whether or not you need to bring ALL your money over straight away. I know the finances of all this gave me many hair-raising moments - not helped by the fact that it does take quite a bit of effort for me to understand money issues.

We only brought over the minimun to start with, adn then brought over the absolute minimum to buy the house with. We still have money in the UK (Not a lot but it feels really really good to me to know there is a slush fund), adn that we can move over when the rate is better.

There are so many variables involved in looking at whether this works for you - but if you decide one day to sit down and crunch numbers it may just put your mind at rest. As always with money there is a risk that if you dont bring it over - the rate gets even worse (if thats possible), but if you can afford to leave money in teh UK - it may be an option that works for you.

Hugs

[willsken]

Im not sure if this will help at all, but it may be worth think about whether or not you need to bring ALL your money over straight away. I

We only brought over the minimun to start with, adn then brought over the absolute minimum to buy the house with. We still have money in the UK (Not a lot but it feels really really good to me to know there is a slush fund), adn that we can move over when the rate is better.


Hugs

Thanks Avalon

OH and I have talked about this and if the rate does't improve before next summer this is what we will have to do. I don't have enough in the kitty to bring it with me on a bad exchange rate.

[veronica]

theres nothing to stop you opening a bank account here in sterling. then you can bring your money over here in one hit but leave it in pounds and just change it up as you need to or as the exchange rate improves.

[Jo and Andy]

We have been here nearly 2 whole weeks, we brought a 15,000 pounds with us, using a currency exchange company Torfx giving us advice. Manged to change at a good rate. waiting now for another load to come over but the $ is having a strong run at the moment. At least we have them looking at the trends etc. Andy understands it more (sorry to be blond), but I get the picutre but then it blurrs.

Hoping the dolloar will slide so we can change some more.over at some time for a deposit on a house.

The company has been good, if anyone wants their www. pm me