# yes or no



## rangitoto (Apr 25, 2011)

its simple would you go back home to live if you could sell your property here in spain
or just quit and return home me ill go first and see how many votes either way NO NO


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Back home? 

Our home is here on the sunny island of El Hierro.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I've got nothing to sell


but I'm home..


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

We had to go back to the UK cos my husband got fed up with commuting to the UK to work and the kids were getting to an age where they needed further education and to possibly find work. We rented our house out in the UK and rented in Spain, so fortunately it was easy to come back. I wish we didnt have to, but financially and mentally it was the right thing to do. I'm not settled in the UK and still think of Spain as my home

Jo xxx


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

I might at some point sell my house in the UK so that I can continue to remain at home here in Spain


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## Cazzy (Nov 23, 2008)

I would like to sell my house in Spain and buy something smaller in the same area, pay my mortgage off in the UK so I don't need a tenant. Then I could go to the UK more to visit my grandchildren. But leave Spain no no no.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

as someone who has not made the move yet I do worry that when someone moves they still look at the UK or wherever as "home" I know my mum who has lived in the UK since the 50's still refers to Eire as "home" maybe it is just a saying not sure.

I would like to think - yes the rose tinted are on - that when we move that once settled in spain will be home. I dont think i would want to go if i was always going to think of the UK as home although obviously it is at the moment, and I will revive this thread once there!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe also it comes from a state of mind, Since I was a child I have lived in over 15 different towns/ villages etc, each one was home.
Anyway today here at "home" it is a lovely sunny autumnal day:eyebrows:


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

no to going back to the UK

This is home for us and I wouldn't change it.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

rangitoto said:


> its simple would you go back home to live if you could sell your property here in spain
> or just quit and return home me ill go first and see how many votes either way NO NO


What an odd question...

We sold all our UK and overseas properties when we left for Prague as we had no intention of returning to the UK.

We rent here and could up sticks whenever we wish but this is our home.
Our family has property here and in a couple of decades expect to retire here.

So the answer is a definite, definitive, resounding ...NO.


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## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

No No would not want to return to the UK although miss the grand children


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I think its safe to say no one wants to return to the UK, but some feel they have to financially and some miss their families etc

Jo xxx


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## virgil (May 3, 2012)

Home is where the heart is


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

cambio said:


> as someone who has not made the move yet I do worry that when someone moves they still look at the UK or wherever as "home" I know my mum who has lived in the UK since the 50's still refers to Eire as "home" maybe it is just a saying not sure.
> 
> I would like to think - yes the rose tinted are on - that when we move that once settled in spain will be home. I dont think i would want to go if i was always going to think of the UK as home although obviously it is at the moment, and I will revive this thread once there!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe also it comes from a state of mind, Since I was a child I have lived in over 15 different towns/ villages etc, each one was home.
> Anyway today here at "home" it is a lovely sunny autumnal day:eyebrows:


I'm always amazed when people who have lived here for years & years still say they are going home for Christmas (or whenever)

If Spain isn't home after all that time maybe they should re-think where they want to be


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

jojo said:


> I think its safe to say no one wants to return to the UK, but some feel they have to financially and some miss their families etc
> 
> Jo xxx


My son, whose Spanish house is a five minutes' drive from ours, flew over late THursday with three of his little chums to play golf. He popped in for an hour this morning, had a cup of tea, some toast and a chat and went off to play golf again before flying home tonight. Quite enough for both of us.


I see him and my dil approximately eight to ten times a year . When they are here for weekends we have dinner together and the day they fly home they spend with us. The rest of the time they do their own thing in their own house.
They prefer to spend holidays further afield- they have just returned from an archeological tour of Egypt and Jordan.
I spend a day or two with them in the UK once or twice a year - it used to be more often but I am getting too comfortable here in Spain.

As long as we know that we are all OK we are content. As a family we have never been in each others' pockets, as it were. We all, including grandchildren at University, lead independent active lives with our own circle of friends.

Of course not everyone is like us, I know. Horses for courses. We didn't consult our family before leaving the UK and wouldn't expect them to consult us about such decisions. We do expect to be told, as do they!

My mother's sister left England for Canada in 1946 to join her Canadian serviceman husband. They were married until he died in 2003. In those days that was like a journey to the ends of the known universe. Other family members emigrated to the United States, Australia and South Africa.

People have legs, trees have roots, as the old Yiddish saying goes...


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

I have family that emigrated to the far side of the moon, we don't hear from them very often.


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## XTreme (May 17, 2008)

No......this is home!


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## Trubrit (Nov 24, 2010)

Absolutely not, Spain is my home, I am even getting used to it's beaurocracy now ie wherever you go take multiple copies of everything and you might get what you are applying for (might being the operative word)


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## Cazzy (Nov 23, 2008)

I live and work in Spain, I love Spain and do not want to return to the UK! I am British and the UK will always be my home!!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Cazzy said:


> I live and work in Spain, I love Spain and do not want to return to the UK! I am British and the UK will always be my home!!


It's important to remember that yes we are British, most of us, and no amount of pretending or wishing otherwise will change that. I think the term 'plastic Spaniard' is usually applied to those sadly mistaken souls who think like that.

But I have no home in the UK so I am British, love Spain and Spain is my only home!


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## el romeral (May 8, 2012)

Never say never. So "maybe" for me.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Mrypg9
Speak for yourself, I am English by birth Herreño by choice......


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> I'm always amazed when people who have lived here for years & years still say they are going home for Christmas (or whenever)
> 
> If Spain isn't home after all that time maybe they should re-think where they want to be


Thats a confusing statement for me

I always go back for Christmas ... because thats where my family are, and for me Christmas is a family thing ... but I'm not confused as to where I want to be.

I have NEVER classed Spain as home. It's a place where I live at the moment, and I enjoy it. I don't feel the need to move back to the UK at the moment but who knows what might happen in the future.

I _know_ I have a different outlook on the Uk to many ex pats. I didn't leave there because I hated the UK or was escaping from anything ... I still think it's a beautiful country and I _always _enjoy going back .... but not for good ....... not just yet anyway!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Stravinsky said:


> Thats a confusing statement for me
> 
> I always go back for Christmas ... because thats where my family are, and for me Christmas is a family thing ... but I'm not confused as to where I want to be.
> 
> ...


we didn't leave the UK to get away from anything either - & we only came here to try it out for a year

but SPAIN is home, and has felt that way for years......


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Home has two meanings, place of abode, or country of birth.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

I've been in Madrid for over 8 years and for a long time I have considered Spain as "home". I feel integrated here. I sold everything I had in the UK and never really considered myself as an "expat".

Now, however, for people that have to support themselves fully within Spain (i.e. no income from the UK or wherever), working on 100% Spanish employment terms as is our case, things have turned a little sour.

The fact that I can't sell my property in a symptom of my need to leave. So the first question in this thread is a trap. If I didn't have to make some drastic adjustments to my life then I would certainly not be looking to leave Spain.

But the reality is that we have become acustomed to a decent life here, now have two kids that need supporting, yet we are in a negative equity trap that we cannot escape from and my wife has now lost her job.

So yes, we're leaving.

But to go back the UK? No way. That would be our last resort, it would be both accepting defeat, and being narrow minded. The world is full of opportunities so we are looking at these instead.

In fact, that's why I have recently joined the forum, to get help about a possible move to Bangkok.

Will it be like Spain? Of course not, but is it going back to the UK sad and dejected? No, it's another of life's opportunities.

I certainly plan to return to Spain when things recover, whenever that may be.


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Hmmmmmm . . . NO


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I've said it before and I'll say it again; planet Earth is my home and unless warp drive is invented pretty soon, it's where I'm staying.


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

If I had posted yesterday, when my OH was home for the weekend, then I would have said that NO I don't want to return to the UK.... but he's back in London this morning and I feel the inevitable sadness at being apart (be it only for a five days). 
Economically, it makes sense to live like this for the moment, although increasingly I question how long we can continue the bi or weekly commute. 
Our children are following the British curriculum, so we could return to the UK and they would be able to slot back into the school system. I would be able to work again, my daughter would be more likely to get paid part time employment.... There are many things that would definitely be positive about a move back. BUT, (and it's a big but), we love it here, and my parents are here too, so I think we'll keep going as we are for a bit longer.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

rangitoto said:


> its simple would you go back home to live if you could sell your property here in spain
> or just quit and return home me ill go first and see how many votes either way NO NO


Home? Home is here in Spain. We've come for the duration - there's nothing in UK other than my sister who comes here. So NO


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## Saffymay (Feb 27, 2011)

Yes Yes I would definately go back. Hate the weather, too hot in summer and too cold in winter. Cost of living rising, probably on a par with UK except for council tax but in UK would probably be able to get rebate as we are pensioners. Would go back tomorrow if were able to sell the house, except that my husband loves it here and I can´t even get him to go back for a few days.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Hepa said:


> Mrypg9
> Speak for yourself, I am English by birth Herreño by choice......


So...when did they grant you honorary nationality and citizenship?


But you are right...we can choose to be whatever we like. I think I'd choose to be 
English by birth, male, rich and Saudi by nationality..

Dream on, Mary


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> So...when did they grant you honorary nationality and citizenship?
> 
> 
> But you are right...we can choose to be whatever we like. I think I'd choose to be
> ...


Once we became part of the fixtures and fittings and they realised that we also have warped senses of humour. Terrific people are the locals here, always ready for a big wind up or a joke!!


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

We were settled here but things have changed for us in the last 12 months.

Due to medical problems we are looking to sell here and move back to the UK. The problem is not the medical care here in Spain, which has been excellent. It is more the case that we need the support of family.

The problem is that we have been unable to sell our house so, at the moment, we are stuck.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Hepa said:


> Once we became part of the fixtures and fittings and they realised that we also have warped senses of humour. Terrific people are the locals here, always ready for a big wind up or a joke!!


We haven't been here long enough -only four years - to be part of the fixtures and fittings and our village has a larger population -just over 1000 -than your island, I guess.

But we are 'recognised' in the village, have acquaintances and friends here and it's our present and future home. 

And we are happier here than at any previous time in our lives.


WE do understand though that not everyone is as fortunate as we and have great sympathy for those like Dunworkin who need to go back but cannot. Fingers crossed for you.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> We haven't been here long enough -only four years - to be part of the fixtures and fittings and our village has a larger population -just over 1000 -than your island, I guess.
> 
> But we are 'recognised' in the village, have acquaintances and friends here and it's our present and future home.
> 
> ...


You guessed wrong, the island is about the size of the Isle of Wight, with a total population on paper of 10,500, however unofficial figures suggest it is now around, 7,500. Lots of people left when we were having the tremors and eruptions, and more have gone because of the unemployment situation.

We live in the capital Valverde perhaps the population of the City is two to three thousand. The last capital city I lived in was London, slightly different here

If I had to live elsewhere, without a doubt it would be Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

If there is anything that would make me want to move on it would be that we had become part of the 'fixtures and fittings'. 

I don't want to become 'integrated' - I like being a foreigner in a foreign land.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

jimenato said:


> If there is anything that would make me want to move on it would be that we had become part of the 'fixtures and fittings'.
> 
> I don't want to become 'integrated' - I like being a foreigner in a foreign land.


Good for you,


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

jimenato said:


> If there is anything that would make me want to move on it would be that we had become part of the 'fixtures and fittings'.
> 
> I don't want to become 'integrated' - I like being a foreigner in a foreign land.


I totally agree. Like you, I like the 'foreigness' of Spain. I hope it never wears off.


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## virgil (May 3, 2012)

I liked what you said yesterday, Mary "People have legs, trees have roots, as the old Yiddish saying goes"...

I've moved owse 14 times in my little life and now we have the "Quintessential Cornish Country Cottage" that we've always wanted, I think - well, we've bin ere 1.5 years ... what's next!

I suppose I will find that final abode eventually ... when I'm up the bone yard


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