Would you ever return to your home country?

Hey, I have just been wondering about US, UK, Aussies, NZ people and of course every auslander(foreigner) in EU. Would you ever go back to your home country? If so why and possible when? Be honest in sharing your reasons with others.

This question is soooooooooooooooooo open ended its not really worth trying to answer is it?

I am sure everyone might go back to their home country for any one of a million reasons from being unhappy here, to family, to work, to supermarkets to...christ...any number of reasons. And then again we might not.

It's like if we are still here when typing it means we have chosen NOT to go back yet, so therefore none of the above apply.

You doing a paper on this liebe? If so, then be honest with why you are asking, eh?

Plus if she is serious about asking every auslander in the EU Bob better reserve some server space.

I wouldn't want to go back full-time, or for good, but I would go back part-time or temporarily if we had a very lucrative assignment to make it worthwhile. Usually I get my fill on short visits.

If Liebe pays me enough I promise to go home and stay there.

Sure, been thinking about it to get my MBA if nothing else. Neither my gf (german) nor I are dead-set on living in Germany or the U.S. Depending on our moods our answers change, but if we won the lottery (as in $30,000...not millions) we'd probably move to the states in the next few months.

At the moment the current plan is for in about 2 years...though we'd probably move back here at some stage, who knows.

Yes, ASAP.

Yeti, I have to say I like this.

Yeti, I have to say I like this.

So good she named it twice.

I hear it all the time, but it is rarely repeated.

As a temp here anyway, of course we're going back 'home,' but not necessarily to my 'hometown. Maybe Chicago, Seattle or whatever opportunities present itself. Spouse is making the urgency even stronger now as he has only 3 papers left to write. Once that MBA is complete, yippee, we're outta here. The reason? It was only temporary anyway. He's from the Uk, I'm American.

I'm moving home in April because I want to study. My german boyfriend is coming with me so if all works out well we will be back and forth between New Zealand and Germany.

I definitely will, no question about it. Just a matter of when I'm ready

Yeah, this is impossible to answer. If you had asked me 11 years ago if I would ever live in Germany, I would probably have said something like, "Fack off you kaant!" However, the fact that the Germans had just beaten England on pens at Wembley in the semi-final may have had some influence on my answer! Likewise, if you were to ask me now if I plan to ever return to England, I would probably say, "Hau ab, du Schwachkopf!" But in 11 years time, who knows?!!

I did 'go back home' to the UK (even though I don't feel as though I can call anywhere "home" after having lived in 3 different countries for longer periods of time). The reasons are varied and mostly private. But who's to say that I won't move away from the UK again? Just because I moved back and am living here now doesn't mean I'm here for good.

Why would anyone go 'back' to the UK when there's so much more of the world to go on to...

If it werent for my job, I'd be on the first plane out of here. I'd love to go to the states, but in reality it'd be back to the UK.

It would take a really special job offer.

What Conquistador said.
And also what HellesAngel said: if I went back to the UK then it would seem so final. Like I've done roaming and have come back to stay. So no, not yet.

Jeeves - it all depends on your own perspective. Obviously I can't see into the future, but it feels more like a springboard to me, in between moving to yet another country. Who knows, maybe I'll stay instead. It also brings about the more interesting question of 'Why do people feel the need to live in other countries?' Are they afraid to go home, they enjoy learning about other cultures, they're escaping what they think would be a boring life etc.

I'd like to bugger off out of Germany - just can't think of anywhere better to go that wouldn't have me bitching and moaning more than I do now. The UK is NOT an option - damn place is jam packed, a ripoff and full of chavs. When the recession kicks in next year it's gonna be all the above plus miserable chavs.

...but I don't think I'd want to stay here for good, either. I'd like to live in a few more new places after this one. At least one other European country, and perhaps somewhere in Asia for a few years, as well.

I don't really "want" to. But it appears that I have little choice at the moment. The Darmstadt military community is closing down next year and I have yet to find another job here in Germany. Since it's getting close to the end, I'm at the point of taking the first offer to come my way. As of now, that offer is in north-east PA. Unless I get another offer before I actually ship my stuff, it looks like I'll be heading there around the 1st of February (shipping my stuff as early as mid-January). But the first chance I get to come back to Germany, I will. I have far too many years of government service to just stop and start again under the German system

Would I ever? Theoretically, maybe. Practically speaking however, circumstances mean that I am likely to be here for a long time yet...

As I have said before on these types of threads, living in more than one place ultimately means not being 100% happy anywhere...

Conquistador:

Yes, what you said is the most compelling reason for me too.

I'd give my left nut to move back to the States.

The only thing that seriously tempts me back to the UK on a regular basis now is Topshop

Jules: sure, but by definition an expat has already written that one off.
UA: aye lass, and my perspective is a bit further down t'road than thee.

Written what off? Being happy? Do you think?

100% settled, yeah

If I had a UK passport and was now weary of living in Germany, I would consider moving to the US or the UAE. I go to the UK every now and then and I can see why there are quite a few people from there who now live in Germany.

Once you have gotten used to living in a new country and have put down roots, it is not that easy to return to your native country, and if you have to pay for the move out of your own pocket, that might be a further deterrent.

I don't think the USA wants us frankly. It's a pretty tricky place to get into. I think you have a few citizens that you might like to "swap" with us, but getting into the place is tricky as a European.

UAE is an interesting curve ball however. Tax rates don't get much sexier than 0%.

Make sure you take your own partner if male however:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates

UK passport holders can automatically get a visa for the UAE. JE, that advice in my previous post was given with you in mind.

I think the US would want you- maybe you can qualify for a green card as an investor/entrepreneur.

BTW, the UAE's gender imbalance is due to the fact that 80% of the population are foreign workers- this normally means men. I have, however, seen a fairly significant number of Filipinas there.

That's true; the older you are, the harder it can be to move countries. Since I'm in my late 20's, I can remain flexible and plan on moving around for a good few years to come.

Unless someone enforces a chav-cull, I'm not going back to England. At least not to live, anyway.

Last time I looked the amount you had to invest, and people you had to employ was pretty eye-watering stuff.

Just checked - unless you wanna invest in a "regional center" (i.e. total shithole area) you gotta stump up $1,000,000 AND create a minimum of 10 jobs.

Hmmmmm. Not sure I wanna go that badly.

Im strongly of the opinion you should never "go back" in life. You should always strive to go forward. However, in certain circumstances you might be able to go forward by going backwards.

Thanks rick. I think that's cleared a few things up for all of us. Do you work in marketing by any chance?

As it happens it looks like an E2 Visa is the way to get into the US as a brit. $100,000 invested in a business and off ya go. That is not a fixed amount just "recommended" to make sure they let you in. The way the US$ is going I can flog my Volvo next year and off we go.

Right. Job done. So where can I go for snowboarding AND decent weather AND close to the sea in the USA?

Just found a great plug-in for Google Earth for US ski resorts:
http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/20...esorts_and.html

I was thinking near the Smokey Mtns on the east or near Tahoe on the west. But decent weather - pah...that's hysterical. There is no paradise like that.

I think if you have the right skills, a UK citizen should be able to get a transfer to the states with several companies looking for internationally trained workers and get their work permit paid for by the company.

Not sure about the USA, but you can have those things living in Vancouver, which isn't far from the US. Probably even harder to get in Canada though.

San Diego is on the beach, and not far from ski resorts. What do you call decent weather though?

Decent Weather = Not Ireland.

Just dont want that crappy non-weather like in the UK. Wet, grey and miserable...and that is just the summer.

Then you won't want to live in Vancouver.

Basically, if you want to be close* to the Mountains, it's going to be cold and if you want to be close to the coast it's going to rain so if you want both you're going to have to be prepared to live with cold and rain.

*by close I mean less than an hour away.

Definitely the SF bay area. No rain for 11 months of the year. If you live right on the coast, then Tahoe is at most four hours away, where there are lots of good ski resorts. Redwood forests are often just a few blocks away, and the desert's not far either. The highest peak in the lower 48 states is just up state, and if it's your thing there are *loads* of fantastic rock climbing spots all over the place. Wine country, gold country and Yosemite are all nearby, and San Francisco's a great city with lots of character.

Pardon the hard sell on the bay area, but I'm glad to be living here again (just not in my boring home town).

Or NZ's South Island, snowboard in the morning, surfing in the arvo

was just about to recommend the same as interplanetjanet. Definitely the way to go!

Decent Weather = Not Germany.

Fixed.