Hi, for the past week or so I have felt homesick for England and my family, I dont know why 'cos I love living here in France. I think it started when we came back from the Dordogne probably unsettled both of us as we liked it there so much. We have a good life here and the family come out and visit us and I go back to see them 3-4 times a year. We have French and English friends here, only a few close friends the rest acquaintances.. We are both retired and have a better standard of living here than we would in the UK. Is it common that after 4 years ex-pats feel unsettled and/or homesick for England??? Has anyone else felt like this?????
Like you after five years I went back to live in Uk to be near elderly parents - although they have been divorced and have new partners since I was in my teens. My father was dying so I stayed till the end but as soon as the funeral was over I came straight back, having rented out my little house here. UK has changed in that 5 years - it is so like USA now and the people seem so unfriendly after living here. Lots of new rules and regulations been brought in too, people now sueing each other for stupid things and I was treated by car insurance companies, etc as if I was a foreigner. Did not have that here! Difficult to get car insurance after being out of the country for over two years - how ridiculous. Anyway been back here again for nearly a year and no one is going to get me back again permanetly. I may have to go if Mum taken ill but could not live there again - became very homesick for France!!! Anyway think long and hard about it before you do anything but I am pleased I did it at the time for my Dad but won't go back again.
Don't get homesick please Sheila, we need you. Enjoy the wedding. As for the Lot or Dordogne, both really good. If you come this way give me a shout, my OH is selling houses part-time too, so if you're interested I'll give you and intro. Any time...
Fantastic! hope the moths havent got that hat, it deserves more air time....hope its fine weather for the big day x
Oldest trick in the book, Maria. Big hat and people don't notice the BIG girl underneath! :-) And I'm sure I had a good time, at least I think so - all a bit hazy now.
Wow that is a whopper...you could have gone to Ascot with that hat Sheila !!!! Looks like you're having a good time though!!
Ah, thanks girls. You are obviously too polite to admit you are "pmsl". The hairdresser spent ages on doing the hair so it would be ok under the hat. Yeah, well that worked ! And,l that was six years ago and these days, the colour of the hair comes from a bottle!
FAB picture Sheila! Love the hat - really wonderful and it suits you! Look forward to seeing some more photos after the next wedding!! :-)
That's superb - you look lovely!
All right ladies - hopefully this puts a smile on your faces. Here is one taken on the day of eldest's wedding - slightly the worse for wear. I'll try and take some before and after ones for the forthcoming nuptials. :-)
Def. want to see those pics on your return Sheila...and wear the hat!
You crack me up !!!! Make the wedding outfit your profile pic (After a few drinks..purely medicinal!!)
Thanks Maria. It won't be easy you know. I will have to have the odd drink, just to be sociable, of course. Will have to root out my bit f*ck-off Mother of the Bride hat if the moths haven't got it, and see if I can still fit into any of my "posh" outfits, assuming they too are moth-free as I left all that stuff in Dublin. Mrs. Higginson offered to dress me, and I think she thought the hot pants with sequins would look good. :-)
Thanks Sheila have a lovely time, bet you enjoy every minute!!
Ah, Carol, thanks so much. That's very thoughtful of you. As of today, we are still in love with Languedoc, and very happy here in Lagrasse, slowly but surely making friends, most of whom are French. You might find this a bit odd but, with a couple of exceptions, none of the Anglophone ex-pats have bothered to get to know us, and there are quite a few living here. Anyway, thanks for your kind words and offer of a bed.
Have a brill trip Sheila....I bet once you are there you enjoy every minute..usually the case when you are not looking forward to something...as far as moving goes...you know the drill....go and stay in the area you may wish to move to. You would be most welcome to come and look at the dordogne and lot here...(one mile from border with the lot)....we have oodles of room...and its a good location for exploring...do you have an area you particularly like or want to try out? or have you found it where you are and just need the right house?
Hi all. Maria, hope you're feeling a bit more positive today. I am off back to Dublin for youngest's wedding and not looking forward to it. As Sarah suggests, I may still be in the honeymoon period (only here 14 months) but in fact, I think it is more a case of finding the place for us. We are further south than you Sharon (near Lezignan), and whilst I am looking forward to seeing my children, grandchildren and our few remaining friends (others have emigrated), I don't really want to go there, in a funny kind of way. Well done Maria for speaking up. I'm sure you've helped others.
Very true Sharon...and also true about peolpe saying how lucky we are living 'la belle'vie'...albeit not in the south of France :0(
Having led a bit of a nomadic lifestyle for the past 20yrs - I do still get the feeling that I am 'missing out' on something back in the UK - but strangely, when I go back even for a week-end the feeling seems to evaporate! Yes, I do make the most of seeing family when I'm there, and I do miss our older sons that have chosen to live there (for the moment!) But I have lived here long enough to make friends, loose friends, see new babies born, see people split up and get new partners....all of lifes changes that happen along the way. I sometimes get really fed-up with life here - but I think that would happen if you stay anywhere long enough - whenever I go shopping with my mother back in the Uk, she tells shop assistants that her daughter is visiting from the 'south of france' the reaction has always been 'ooooh lucky you!'
Hi Sarah thanks for that...yeah I think you are dead right...and also there are lots of things, some good and some not so good, going on back in the UK so I do feel out of the loop. Although I have a couple of good friends here it doesn't seem the same as the friends I left behind...But hey ho watch this space!!!!!