Moving home after living abroad
So the dream is over!
Whatever the reason is, like it or not, you're moving home. It could be for reasons such as ill-health, a complete financial crisis or just that you miss your family and loved ones. There are many reasons why people choose to go back home and the first thing you must get clear in your mind is that you wanted to move abroad, you did move abroad and you are happy that you did. Many people dream of moving to Portugal and never ever do it. Be proud of yourself, you lived the dream and there is absolutely no shame in going home, wherever that is. Life's too short and you made the most of it.
However, that said when it sinks in it can hit you like a freight train. Bizarrely there’s somewhat of a reverse culture shock, something you wouldn’t expect.
It can, to some, feel like your a foreigner all over again, but this time without the language barrier.
In the first month, you will be busy setting up your new home or even looking for one if you haven’t purchased already. Family and friends will visit and you will naturally have to adjust to the weather. If you can, we recommend moving in the spring or summer months to help with weather adjustments. You may need new clothes, you will need a vehicle and you may need new furniture. It’s sometimes a good idea to sell your furniture with your property. This works both ways as ex-pats moving to Portugal find this an easy way to move and it means you reduce the profit on your sale and therefore any tax due. It also means you get to go shopping which is exciting and comforting.
It’s during this month that you should put your affairs abroad to bed. You should already have transferred everything over to the new owners but remember to close your fiscal account, your bank accounts and insurance policies, oh and redirect your mail to a friend in Portugal. This is quite costly but worth it. Also, bear in mind that there will be something that you will probably forget to do.
So, now it can become hard, particularly if you're a family. It can be hard on the kids who'll be missing their friends and can take a while to adjust. Finding a job, is not always straight forward, particularly if you have a ten-year gap in your CV. Think about how you explain your time abroad. Be prepared for training in a new role or even studying for new qualifications, if you are of working age.
A new job, new car, new house, new routine and new friends can seem daunting, but don’t forget you’ve been through all of this before and that was with the complication of a foreign language. The key thing is to ensure that you financially plan this move and leave some extras for the unexpected. There’s registering with doctors, dentists, residency, the electoral roll, even jury service. Things will be different and the pace of life if moving back the UK will be fast and furious, the roads are busy, the car parks are full, there are traffic wardens, speed cameras and crime. Probably some of the things and the reason you moved to Portugal in the first place.
It’s a common and often silly assumption that moving home after living abroad will be easy. However, the reality is that it can be extremely hard and an experience riddled with the thought of failure, something that can be very difficult to come to terms with, much more difficult than your original journey into the unknown. This reverse culture shock is all the more painful because it can hit you hard and can often be unexpected. It can take months to feel ok and if you don’t seem to be able to adjust you may need to seek professional help.
Our advice, take up a hobby if you can, try to adjust and try to remember that you did do it and you are glad that you did. Don’t forget your past and remember the good times when you lived abroad. This is just the next phase of your life and you need to enjoy that too.
Good Luck.
