[Angelonthemove]

Today I am packing boxes whilst my OH nurses his hangover from a meeting with friends last night. Can't believe 3 months ago we weren't even moving! This will be my OH 25th move and my 29th move so I know I should be used to it. But I keep getting tearful today as I will be leave my 19 year old daughter in the UK as she does not want to come with us, and returned there 18 months ago. We pretty much spent 15 years of her life with me as her single mother and best friend, we have a very close relationship. Spent 5 days with her in London, before we made the decsison to move to NZ. But even though she is so behind our decision, it's still hard.

We have also had someone who wants our pets which we were bringing with us, so that is upsetting too. They justs fell in love with them when they came to dinner2 nights ago. Makes the whole thing easier to plan but still I would have preferred to have taken them but we have to leave them behind for 6 months anyway. So this is fairer and kinder for them. Plus I think the change in climate woud have been quite hard for them. We have the mountain walks outside our house so here they are able to roam quite freely, which I believe it not so possible by your posts in NZ. I find these post so helpful and your like this big family of friends that I read everyday.

We still have not sold the house, but we have one person who need a mortgage first so it would have to be a bank holiday today of all days so no news.

We arrive too late for the Wellington meeting but woud have liked to have hooked up. Arrive Aucklands 10-14th Aug with jet lag. Fly to Wellington on the 14th. So if anyone want to meet for a drink in our first few days before my 2nd interview may turn into a real start the job now (we want to check each other out first before job offer) just pm us. We will be staying at the Bolton hotel until we find accomodation.

Sorry for long post needed to have a chat with those who know :eek: what I am going through.

[Gumbygreeneye]

Hi love,

We really do feel for you. We have about 30 hours till we fly so this is our last night in the country. We are staying at our friend's house. Our home of 10 years is empty now.

We also passed our pet dog onto other friends where she had a cracking time but unfortunately died (she was old) a couple of weeks back.

For us even more than family are the two sets of best friends we have. These people are as close to family as you could get if you picked them out genetically yourself.

Hope it goes well and enjoy your upcoming big adventure.

Best wishes,

KJ and Nadine :)

[zardell]

Hi there.

Hey, I cry everyday and have done for weeks !!

You are not alone................ ;)

I am really, really ready to go now, but due to some personal commitments, we cant until (at the soonest) October.

I say I am ready to go, because everything is sold, pets re homed, etc.,etc. and now I just feel like a caretaker in someone else's house, but by the same token, this is still my home, the home I've had for 15+years.

One of the assessors I had round from the shippers put it in a nutshell when he said 'We don't just move your possessions, we move your precious memories'. When he left, I sobbed............

But he was sooo right. Everyday I am in this house, its memories are killing me and that is why I KNOW I am ready to go - and (for the sake of my sanity) the sooner the better.

Hope you have loooooong good times and very short moments of sadness.

{{{{HUGS}}}}

Julie

xx

[marcia]

{{{{Big hugs to everyone}}}}

I am having a pretty rotten day myself - been doing a load of wedding stuff with my sister and a few comments that came up, it'll be your last family do, your leaving party, and then I had an email from my mum and dad (they are practising sending emails at every opportunity!) replying to my update about getting PR ......

It may be good news for you but it is not for us. Our arms are not long enough to reach round the world to give you all hugs.

Well you can imagine my reaction to that! :wah


But I just hold onto the fact that I know its the right decision for us and yep we've got to get through these blips and concentrate on the goal - but boy is it hard at times!!

[Diny]

Another thread which is hitting home for me. Everything that you folks are going through is in the past for me now, but the memories are still vivid. I remember the feeling of just standing in my empty house once the shippers had gone, everything was done, our cases were packed and the feeling I experienced was one of deep sadness mixed with great excitement.

For me, the family thing is the biggie. Never a day goes by that I don't miss them. The only thing I can advise is that you take each day at a time. It just doesn't do to think along the lines of 'it's going to be years until we see each other again' .... timescales can be crippling - try to eliminate them from your thoughts. The other bit of advice ...... keep up the lines of communication. Get a program like Skype on your pc so that you can make totally free/amazingly cheap phone calls home.

Take full advantage of this forum, no matter what you're going through you can guarantee that there's others here feeling the same (or at least have past experience of feeling the same).

Nobody said this was going to be easy - but it isn't impossible.

Good luck, be strong and be happy.

Diny

[Sarah & Alex]

Don't start me crying...

I'll most likely end up doing that tomorrow as it's my last day at work.

I've got all next week to pack and ensure that I've sorted all the loose ends before I fly the week after!!!

I've now got to the scared stage but at the same time I'm really excited, with the occasional teary moment when I think I wont see them/it/there again... (I'm sure I'll have my share of tears in Auckland as well - Especially as my partner wont be coming across til Mid September!!! - I'm leaving him to sort out the house / cats, not sure if thats a good idea but we'll see!).

I've been wanting to emigrate ever since I visited the country 5 years ago (Parents thought I'd grow out of it!) but I know that this is the right thing to do and I cant wait.

[Smiler]

It may be good news for you but it is not for us. Our arms are not long enough to reach round the world to give you all hugs.
Well you can imagine my reaction to that! :wah



OMG and mine too!

(((((((((((Group hug))))))))))))))

Angela your 1st paragraph hits home. Much the same situation as my son and I. I brought him up to be independant and now he is, it bloomin hurts sooo much.

I miss my family like crazy, made worse by the situation I wrote about in another post, but keep in contact with the rest of them. My sister is 24 weeks pregnant and I've seen pics of the bump etc, but it doesn't make up for being there, IMO. :o

Most day you will cope I'm sure and others it will floor you, but you do have to remember why you are doing this and the way of life which you have encouraged your daughter to live has made her strong enough to do all these things (and you too).

Get all forms of communication installed known to man and use them at every opportunity. Although I don't call when I'm upset as that makes it worse. MIL said to me yesterday that I sounded like I was round the corner to her and we have great hour long chats. I've sent photo's of the new house and stuff we've bought here (the're on dial up, so it's film) just like if they were visiting in the UK, walking them round the house and garden.

Take each day as it comes. If you want to cry just give in and do it, don't hold back it's not healthy!

You'll love the Bolton. :nice1 Stayed there a couple of weekends ago. Will pm you about meeting for a drinkie.

We're all here for you, just yell. :wah

[Nienke]

:wah
Made me cry, this thread. I remember the feeling of standing in my empty house very well, it wasn't long ago and it's a rotten feeling.
I'm starting to miss friends and family, been here now for almost 3 months and the months before that were hard.
Sigh.
Ah well, I look outside my window of my lovely new home here and see trees and hills. I just wish I could show my mum....

[Smiler]

:wah I just wish I could show my mum....

Yep! that's it exactly for me.

[Avalon]

Fly to Wellington on the 14th. So if anyone want to meet for a drink in our first few days before my 2nd interview may turn into a real start the job now (we want to check each other out first before job offer) just pm us. We will be staying at the Bolton hotel until we find accomodation.

Sorry for long post needed to have a chat with those who know :eek: what I am going through.

{{{{HUGS}}}} from me too.

Would love to meet for a drink and to welcome you to Welly. I Will Pm you my details.

Tkae each day as it comes. We all react differently to this - but almost all of us find it gut wrenching to make the move. It does get more bearable.

[Angelonthemove]

Bless you all

I don't understand as I left UK 3 years ago so it should have been easier. Do you think its the distance from the UK if you need to get back etc? Its not the change in lifestyle as this is so far from UK life its like being in 1970's apart from the clothes ;) I think you have to make so much effort to get into NZ, if you want to go to the UK or here as a foreigner, you just walk in!!

Thanks for all your support. My OH cried when we gave away his favourite cat last night, and I am the one that feed them. Settled in in no time she is more like a dog and walks up the mountain with him. Then he started crying while telling the dogs he will miss his mountain walks with them. I did not realise it was as hard for him. H's ex OZZIE and has travelled round Europe for last 19 years so it must be something about NZ as even he is finding it really emotional and he is moving nearer his family
Thanks again and looking forward to meeting up when we arrive there.

Angela

[zardell]

Hi Angela.

Just thought I'd share...........I must be having a good day - it's nearly 8.30am and I haven't shed one tear !!

:laugh :laugh :laugh

See - it does get better.......... :exit

Julie

xx

ps

PM me anytime if you need someone to chat to......xx

[spudulike]

Hi Angela,

I can completely understand how you feel. I remember standing in my house which we had only just finished decorating and wanting to cry. Seeing the empty nursery we had decorated for our first baby just floored me :uhoh I still feel sad thinking about it. I still miss home so very much and wish my friends could see my baby (7 months) and toddler (2 years) as they grow up as I feel I have nobody that cares enough here to share their milestones with.....

I think Diny is so spot on with saying don't think in timescales. If you do, it will make every moment drag and you'll feel so much worse. I'm sure once you've settled here and got all your familiar belongings around you you'll be fine.

Good luck

Louise

[NannyOgg]

Just heard a song on the radio, can't remember who by, but the lyrics are:


If it makes you happy,
Then why the hell are you so sad?

Pretty much how everyone here is feeling i guess :o

[Smiler]

Just heard a song on the radio, can't remember who by, but the lyrics are:


If it makes you happy,
Then why the hell are you so sad?

Pretty much how everyone here is feeling i guess :o

Sheryl Crow- oops wrong thread. :exit

But very true, Nanny.

[katandbob]

Angel, I know exactly how your feeling, I have my 19yr old daughter in the UK, and my 6mth old granson, its so hard when you get a txt saying...i need to hug you mum but your not here...It cracks me up inside. but she was all for our move. it will be even worse for her when her brothers fly here in september.

BUT you have to live your life, and she is ready to spread her wings too...

although my daughter and I are apart, my love and hers is still as strong, we chat on web/phone and txt. its just adapted...and I try not to think too deeply about her not being here, and then I am ok.

But when we were going it was terrible. ...what I am trying to say ...got all upset trying to write this down..so thats why its not making much sense - sorry! :o

Is that it does help to know your not the only one, and the forum helps you keep it together, as they are there for the hugs when you need a pep talk... :nice1 you know who you are guys...I appreciate it when you give your support.

Oh and Rachel is back riding and is off to a show tomorrow so thankfully she had no lasting injuries from her fall.

Take care Angel and I hope you have a smooth journey.

Kat

[zardell]

Oh and Rachel is back riding and is off to a show tomorrow so thankfully she had no lasting injuries from her fall.

Kat



Oh that IS good news Kat........oops, sorry to hijack the thread. :o

Julie

xx

[katandbob]

Oh that IS good news Kat........oops, sorry to hijack the thread. :o

Julie

xx

thanks Julie, I am sure Angela didn't mind....ps l like your avatar Angela! very cute kitty......Kat :laugh

[Angelonthemove]

No that's OK kat my daughter is called Katie.

Took me ages to work out how to put an image on!

2 cats gone and getting used to their new home.

Dogs are going to theirs tonight for a BBQ just to see how they get on but take them home again.

Half packed the house up, still have moment of tears. Its so hard this time. But keep telling myself once I am on that plane it will get better. Hope your weather is not too depressing having left a heatwave of 38 here. Seems strange packing my boots etc. Looking forward to come real culture compared to here. When we arrived last time we spent 2 hours in the supermarket just looking at products we can not get here.

Better get back to packing.

Angela

[dawn]

I'm here and I still cry, Diny's right, it's not easy, but it's not impossible.

You'll get here when you're ready and you'll know you made the right decision, in the mean time, enjoy the time you have left it the UK, it goes far too fast and befor you know it, you'll be at the airport, dumbstruck at where all the time went.

[GeordieLass]

So glad I found this forum. I was feeling like a right idiot because I'm welling up reading the letters of support I've asked some of my friends to write. I haven't even filled the application form in yet and have half a year before I'm moving anywhere!

The one from my best friend has been the trigger I think, as she talks about us having known each other for 17 years and still stayed in contact and regularly met up for the 7 years since we left school despite us living in different cities the whole time. I think it's because as hard as it is to leave family, they are tied by blood and therefore legally* obliged to keep in contact wheras friends can drift if you don't keep your eye on the ball. Tomorrow I'm going to buy a massive datebook so I can have everyone's birthdays, wedding anniversaries and any other celebration in with addresses, phone numbers and email and space to update when they move. I think I need to start educating people about the wonders of Skype too.


*ok not legally but you get my drift