On today’s episode Kirsty and I discuss the thought of repatriation. Something neither of us has had to do but something that is always in the back of our mind.
Why is going home such a scary thing to so many expats?
What happens when we get home? What does it look like? Is it harder to make friends? Can we start again or do we just pick up where we left off?
We heard from two expats who recently repatriated and what they wished they’d done differently and how they are coping with the change of being back in their home country.
Kirsty also had some great feedback on the Facebook page of her blog. In particular we’d like to say hello to Jennifer, Rachel and Amanda who shared their experiences. Thanks ladies.
We also talked about some great articles on repatriation.
Repatriation: One Woman’s Story
8 Things I wish someone had told me before I moved back to the US.
Repatriation Blues: Expats Struggle with the Dark Side of Coming Home
The Horrible Horrors of Repatriation
Sarah’s Blog Pick: Life Love and Hiccups – Sonia is a great, funny writer. I guess you could call her a Mummy or Lifestyle blogger. She shares stories of parenting and marriage as well as recipes and a bit of DIY.
Sarah’s Facebook Pick: After the devastating earthquake in Nepal it was great to see again how social media can make a difference. In particular I loved Mark Zuckerberg’s safety check app on Facebook.
Sarah’s You Tube Pick: Please take the time to watch this video from Australian Tim Minchin. It’s hilarious, insightful and inspiring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyBvbot3emM
Kirsty’s TV Pick: The Affair. It grabs you right from the start, brilliantly shot and cleverly done.
Thank you to everyone who has been tuning in each episode and for all the reviews and subscriptions.
See you next week xx
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9 Comments
ailsa
Hi
I was looking forward to this episode having recently moved back to australia although i am scottish and was an expat kid and just moved back from doha after being there 5 years. I did find your episode was a little bit on the negative side as I have to say I have enjoyed moving back and we have moved back to a different area and yes there is hard parts and making friends is one of them but I do think the friendship you make as an expat say in the middle east arent as long lasting as the ones you will make back at home – they are great while you are an expat but they arent as solid therefore harder to maintain once you leave as you have less to connect with.
Also people dont want to hear your stories but I am used to that already as my friends in scotland arent too fussed about either my aussie life or so much my middle east life but they just know it is part of me and they are used to it and they do ask just like i ask about their lives.
I think another aspect for kids is saying they will learn so much in an expat life etc but on the downside my sister was moved around till she was 14 and it has had an impact on schooling and friendships – she goes on holidays etc now but has stayed in edinburgh pretty much since she left uni- i think to maintain an element of stability. Whereas i had a stable schooling from 8 years old in Edinburgh with my mum staying with us and my dad continuing to travel so i did lay roots down and do feel i belong somewhere which has meant i do like moving around now. I wanted this for my son and i was ready to leave doha when we did and other than a few hiccups I love being back. Whether I move back to scotland is another question!
I do enjoy your podcasts for raising all different thoughts on all the different topics just felt this one was slanted to make it seem a far scarier prospect than it is.
Sarah Derrig
Hi Ailsa
Thank you for listening and commenting, we really appreciate it. I’m so glad that you mentioned you’ve had a good experience as many peoples’ feed back to us was the opposite, so it’s definitely nice to hear the positive side to repatriation.
Sarah
x
kirsty@shamozal.com
Thanks Ailsa, you’re right we probably did focus more on what can go wrong rather than what can go right but I think that was because the majority of the feedback we received when we put the question out was that it was the hardest move of all. I did try though in my two interviews to get two different points of view. Juliet is very happy to be back and thought it had been a really positive experience and although Menai had found the move difficult she was also happy to be back. I’d like to do another repatriation episode further down the track and I’d love to hear your positive story next time – perhaps I could interview you? Thanks so much for your feedback, really appreciate it. xxx
shauxy
I was checking each day for this episode to be released as repatriating is on my mind!! I’m feeling very unsettled in Abu Dhabi right now as I’ve had 4 good friends announce their departure in as many weeks. We’ve been here 6 years and I am finally feeling that the time is right to exit. It’s a scary prospect on one hand, but on the other hand I feel a strange sense of relief when I consider it. I feel like maybe we all need a gentle nudge to help us know when the time is right … children reaching a certain age, or sickness in a elderly parent … whatever it is, I feel that without a nudge it’s very difficult to know when the time is right to leave the expat life behind. The scariest part for me, and something that I was hoping to hear more about on this podcast, was how the children manage to fit in back home. The thoughts of landing my bubble-wrapped-boys to a primary school in the West of Scotland scares the bejaysus out of me.
Love the podcasts ladies. Keep it up 🙂
kirsty@shamozal.com
Thanks so much Shauxy, I think we should do a special episode which focusses solely on repatriation for kids, let me put it in the show notes. Maybe we could do it a little later in the year?
Katie
I am famous! You mentioned me in the podcast….lol!
You ladies did a fabulous job….seriously! You really hit the nail on the head and covered so many topics, thoughts, ideas. I am nine months in to my American repatriation. I feel a bit like Dory in the movie “Nemo” singing “just keep swimming.”
Our issue is although we moved home to the States, the city in which we moved to is not home. We tried to pick the best school based on what we knew and then chose to rent an apartment. This allowed us to get to know the area and the housing market. After months of house hunting, we realized we would not find what we were looking for and the school wasn’t all that it cracked up to be. We finally found a home we love! However, it is not near the school. So now we commute the kids to finish out the year and they will attend yet another school next year. Not having a home to settle into was extremely hard on us all. But had we purchased, it would have been the wrong area. There is no way to have known unless we did it that way. The children are finally settled!
Me? I am still looking for friends and that coffee invite….
Lynda
Hi there – another vote from me for having a positive experience. 🙂 We really enjoyed our time in Dubai for four years, but have made the transition back to the US pretty smoothly. I can definitely understand why it could be difficult though, and prepared for the worst based on stories from friends, but luckily we have been happy!
Elaine
Love your podcasts! Some great interviews here and as others have said, was interested to hear the experiences of those who have packed their suitcases for one last time and bought a one-way ticket. I would have been interested to hear from some folks who are returning without a young family to help them to settle back in – is it easier or not to adjust without the kids to help you find new friends and a routine??
Harriet Canwell
Hi Thanks so much for this podcast – just great. We’ve returned to UK after 3 years in Melbourne. We didn’t HAVE to return but decided to in the end when hubbie’s earning power became so much greater back here….felt we needed to for some financial stability. The return has been fraught with difficulties – not least our three kids’ education. We definitely hugely underestimated how hard it would be for them to adjust, leave their friends behind & catch up educationally – UK being a year or so ahead of Aus in where they’re supposed to be at. Lack of school places has been very tough to work round. It’s amazing how much knowledge you ‘lose’ even in just 3 years – I can no longer think where to shop for things that I’d know exactly where to go for in Melbs. It’s busier and faster here – couldn’t understand why Aus was supposed to be such a laid back culture on first arriving there, as I found the first 8 months there pretty sytressful (did have 4 yr old twins in tow!) but now I can really appreciate what we left behind. UK is just so full on, go, go, go. And don’t even get me started about the traffic & driving….so I’ve become a bit of a recluse compared with my sociable Melbourne self. I’m really trying to slow down after years of running around like a nutter, caring for children & moving home multiple times. I’m actually having a read and a siesta each afternoon – radical hey?! I just feel the stuffing has been knocked out of me; I miss Melbourne so much and so I’m just trying to take it really easy and rest up to try and process the experience. Having said that we’re moving house tomorrow!! You interviewed a few Brit returnees – I would really love to meet some expats but can’t find out how to do so. I’m on the Bucks/Herts border…..any ideas anyone, websites etc to put out a repatriate lonely heart? I must say I’ve found the Internet a great resource for trying to come to terms with this whole thing, my sense of loss, whether it’s possible to make ping ponging back to Aus work etc etc & I’ve particularly loved your podcasts, so thank-you!