Return to the UK.
By taff664
@taff664 (1)
September 19, 2010 2:33pm CST
Last year I returned to live in the UK after 11 years of living and working around the world. I am finding it really difficult to feel comfortable or at home here. Ok, the weather is lousy but I can cope with that, although I do miss sitting on my balcony with a glass of wine.
The problem is things have changed, the technology has moved on and everyone's working life seems to be ruled byt emails. The surveillance is frightening - 40% of the world's CCTV cameras on one small island. Most of all is people's attitudes - the fun seems to have gone out of things. We are all worried about the recession but does everyone have to be so gloomy.
I suppse I will have to make the best of it but is anyone else willing to share their experiences of resettling "back home2 after an extended period overseas?
5 responses
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
31 Oct 10
When I was 20 years old I spent more than one year traveling around the world. I felt very happy on my trip exploring all the different places. I so liked working in Australia and I felt that I wanted to stay there forever. In my last month of my journey in Malaysia I fell down an open drain and badly injured my leg. I came home via Singapore on a 14 hour flight. It seemed cool in England and it made me feel chilly. I had come home with an Australian accent. I went to employment agencies and had to show my passport to prove being English. Britain had a recession in 1991 and by 1993 things were gloomy. That was when I had let out my cottage and gone off on a trip around the world. In 1994 things were a bit better. I did some working and studying. Then I got married, had a baby and began my university course in the years after I came home from my extended period overseas. Now in 2010 England has another recession. It is an interesting fact that Britain has 40% of the worlds CCTV cameras. Yes, technology has moved on with emails more common that letters. Good luck adjusting to living in England again.
@joey_matthews (8354)
•
21 Oct 10
It depends what your use to really, if your use to traveling around other countries and not staying in one place for long, then it will take alot of time to get use to.
Obviously you are aware of all the weather and stuff with living here before your travels, but it can take some getting use to after being away for soo long.
Hope you get use to it soon.
@petersum (4522)
• United States
19 Sep 10
Yes, I have been keeping the Empire alive for twenty five years and have never been back to the UK even for a holiday. I'm thinking of returning but I know what a big disruption it will be. No home, no job, no friends, nothing at all in common any more. It is a frightening prospect.
Plus a 12 year old daughter with a UK passport who has never seen "home".
@cricketpro (123)
• Canada
19 Sep 10
yep... I just came back to canada after 5 years.. not much has changed ... though.. but indeed the level of peoples happyness has droped alot !!!
But you are comming back after 11 years soo that must be somthing.. you must notice the diffrence alot.. while as not so much with me....
@gypsy1969 (24)
•
17 Oct 10
Hi taff664,
I have never lived abroad although have been away on holiday a few times.Just think you have all those wonderful memories,all those wonderful places you've probably been.Maybe if you talk about your time abroad with these gloomy people it will lift their spirits,it may make them pick themselves up and realise there are good things out there to think good thoughts about.
As for the cameras,well as long as your not doing anything illegal just try and ignore them, by the sounds of it anyway they don't have some of them switched on.So 40% won't be working all of the time and they are there for a protection.
Unfortunetly just another sign of the times.
