Have you ever moved away alone for a job? Would you?

lostinrates

My husband moved ahead of me to a different country ( one he has links with but not an area he knew ) for a job. Then stayed without me for a while. Later he was moved at no notice and for a length of time they couldn't determine in advantage to another location. That period of time was difficult because it was very difficult to plan anything.

My parents moved frequently for jobs, overseas. Either my dad alone, or he and my mother, or for a while, all of us. All ways a new start.

Given the right opportunity DH and I would do it again.

Snakey

I moved at 18 to go to Uni, although it wasn't the typical student thing as I'd already left home so I moved from a bedsit in my home town to a bedsit in Manchester - there were no trips home for me and no childhood bedroom waiting for me to move back to when I graduated. Although the Uni thing didn't last long, I settled up there and stayed for nearly ten years.

It was strange at first. I was a student, but I didn't feel like I had much in common with my fellow students and I was too skint to do any of the bonding things like joining student clubs, drinking in the union bar, going to the Freshers' Ball etc. My friends were all locals, who I met because we all liked the same obscure music. This was pre-internet. There was a cafe that they all went to, and I found them there.

I didn't miss home one little bit, and I loved Manchester. It was my first experience of city life, and multiculturalism, and a large enough population that you could meet people you had things properly in common with, and cool shops, and clubs, and bands played there, and it was all such a buzz.

I moved to London at 27 for work. I'd always wanted to live in London and when the wheels came off my transition to adulthood I put it out of my mind as something that was never going to happen. When I realised I could, it felt so exciting and so liberating. This was in 1999, so the internet was just taking off, and I met a lot of people through chat rooms and I also went out a lot with work.

I found that there were an awful lot of people who'd moved away from everyone they knew to be in London. So it wasn't too difficult to make friends (or friendly acquaintances, at least), it was only that you needed a catalyst to get you introduced in the first place.

Again, I didn't miss Manchester. I missed the football, and my lovely house, and the tap water, and the accent, but most of my friends (couples) had dropped me when I split up with my husband and to be honest I was keen for a new start away from all that.

I'd do it again, but I think you should always trade up if you can, and I can't think of anywhere that's better than London.

In short, it depends where you go and what sort of lifestyle you want when you get there.

[Deleted User]

When I was 22 I moved from north Manchester down to Cardiff for my first job after uni. Didn't know anyone at all there, but managed to meet a good few friends who I still try to keep in contact with.. After a few years (I was 25) I decided to move sectors, and specifically wanted to move to London (again, didn't know anyone there either). Moved to one of the few areas I knew of, into a shared flat with a friend of a friend from home.

Worked out fine.. 4 months after moving to London, I met my girlfriend, who became my wife and we now live happily in southern Hertfordshire with our two kids. Married 6 years now.

I managed to bump into an old colleague from Cardiff whilst getting the bus in Mile End. Funny old place London is. I don't mind the tap water out in the shires

pinkshoes

Yes, aged 19, moved 160 miles to Liverpool on my own, not knowing anyone.

Also moved to Worcester on my own, not knowing anyone...

I worked for a company who liked sending me all over the UK to work!

I settled in really quickly regardless of where I moved.

(18 addresses since I was 18 years old now)

BucksLady

After graduating from uni (aged 22), I was offered a job in Germany. This was a big step for me as I speak very little German. Fortunately, my colleagues 'all' spoke English extremely well and they went to great lengths ro make me feel at home. I hadn't been to Germany before and so it was quite exciting.... Lots of new places to visit and new people to meet. I did miss my family, but they visited quite a bit. It was an experience I will never forget .

TopQuark

Yes - moved the Philippines on my own at 25 for my career. Didn't know a single soul over there but made loads of friends and my now husband. Have not stopped working and travelling around the world since (8 years on). I am glad everyday that I did it!

peetj

I did at 25, I did have a 1 year old so I guess I alone in that sense, but I was in the way that I didn't have any family, friends or anyone to support me.

oldestgnome

I went to Uni at 18, travelled overseas on my own after uni, worked overseas in three different locations then moved to three different UK cities all at least 100 miles from home and each other during my 20s for different jobs, now planning on heading overseas for a few months...


One of the moves was to be nearer a long distance relationship others all independent, likely to be another one in the next couple of years depends on how I feel when I get back from travels

Poppie68

I left home at 18 boarded at train at Preston to London booked into a hotel trawled the streets for a couple of days looking for a job, 1 week after arriving i started my job with accomadation thrown in...i would be too much of a wuss to do it now though!

slowcoachme

Yep, age 26, went to Saudi Arabia to work as a nurse, what a culture shock. Ended up staying 20 years, met my husband and had 2 kids there.