We came back from our round-the-world backpacking trip in 2009 expecting twins (and yes, that is us looking much younger in that photo with our boys taken in 2010 by our lovely friend Jan at Hampshire Baby Photography). Although we loved Australia and had seriously been talking about migrating while we were travelling, having two babies and seeing how happy they made their grandparents made a big difference to our decision.
After a lot of debating, we decided to try to bring some of the laid back Aussie lifestyle to our UK lives and try to make it work.
During our travels we’d spent seven months snorkelling, diving, hiking, sightseeing and touring, and we knew that just because we were back living in the UK it didn’t mean we had to stop doing those things (OK, I wasn’t about to snorkel in the Solent, but you get what I mean!)
We gave it a go. It didn’t quite work for us as we still didn’t feel we were living the lives we wanted to live – but that’s not to say it won’t work for you. Moving to Australia isn’t for everyone, and this site is about encouraging you to decide if it’s right for you or not. I would have loved to have felt happy and at home in the UK as it would have saved us lots of money and effort, but by staying we wouldn’t have been living our lives as they deserved to be lived as both Matt and I wanted something different.
If you’re wondering how to bring a bit of Australian lifestyle into your UK lives, here’s a few ideas:
Cook more barbecues. Getting into the habit of cooking a barbie once a week, or cooking your Sunday morning brekky on there is a great way to feel more Aussie. You might need to eat indoors if it’s too cold, but you can’t beat the taste of food cooked outdoors.
Go outdoors. Beach walks, forests, countryside – enjoy the scenery and the fresh air. If you lived in Australia you’d be outdoors more often – don’t let cold weather stop you, wrap up and have some fun. It’s also a great excuse to enjoy a hot chocolate together afterwards in front of a log fire (now although I don’t miss the cold, I do kinda miss doing that).
Go swimming. Take a weekly trip to the local swimming pool – your kids will soon be able to swim like fish and it will mean that when you take a holiday they will have skills to cope in the water.
Take at least one holiday to Cornwall each year. Of everywhere in the UK, Cornwall is the place with the most Aussie vibe. Go surfing, eat ice cream on the beach and sit with a glass of wine in the beer gardens. It’s the perfect way to refuel the soul.
Plan a holiday to Australia together. Even if you aren’t planning on moving to Australia, that doesn’t mean you can’t visit. Sit your kids down with a laptop and a good old-fashioned guidebook (I recommend lots of books you can read in this post) and talk through some of the places you could go and how you might travel. Campervans are a great way to travel with kids as it gives you freedom, you only need to unpack once and you can cook your own food. Even if a trip isn’t something you can afford to do right now, you could create a dream holiday plan together on Pinterest to collect your thoughts until the time comes that you can book your dream holiday.
Can you think of any more to add to the list? Have you tried this and did it work for you? I’d love to hear about your experience.
If you know already that this isn’t going to work and you’re ready to start your migration journey, then head over to my Move to Australia Directory now to find out the top services that I recommend and check out this post which walks you through how to move to Australia.
