Emergencies Overseas

Yes, that is a very real problem for expats–and I too think of that situation a lot. When you live so far away, its seems a bit scary when someone you love is in a near death situation or is undergoing major surgery. At what point do you fly out there? I know that last goodbyes or helping someone recover from an illness can be expensive, but my policy is that no matter what it cost its worth it.
Iknow some expats that live here in Britain that were really settled. But, when their parents started getting older they made the executive decision to move back to the USA. A life abroad was not worth missing out on the last years of their parents lives.

Also, I knew another man that moved back home because his mother died, and there was no one to sort out the estate and take care of the funeral, and it was just too much to deal with abroad…

Total nightmare scenario, and one that I worry about often with a 92 year old grandmother living back home. I figure I will have to cross the bridge when I get to it like Pacific Yorkshire Bird did–gage the situation and act accordingly. Money is definitely not the issue, but there are times of year here where it would be virtually impossible for me to get away from my job, which is always a sobering thought!

I agree with both of you above about doing whatever you have to regardless of cost. In my case I was also just days away from the US visa interview with Mr. Charismatic. And, now that we have plans to move stateside, we will worry equally about trying to be in the UK for life events good and bad for our family here. We have learned so much about give and take and making choices given the best information at the time. I’m always saying outloud there is no point in playing the “Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda” game whenever we look back and think we could have done something better.

I’m just glad now that things have returned to mostly normality back home and I am so looking forward to giving everyone a big hug in the same way that I couldn’t wait to celebrate with my family when we welcomed a new member last year!

NFAH – I hope your colleagues at work will come through for you if you ever have to rush home.

This is one of my biggest fears and I also live in fear of not being able to afford a last minute trip home. I’m a working musician and running a business that’s only JUST a year old. Money is tight, to put it lightly…

Heart disease runs in my family on BOTH sides and I live in fear of getting ‘the phone call’.

The truth is, I don’t know what I’ll do. Find out how bad it is and sensibly decide what to do? Or scramble to Heathrow while calling my Dad on the way to see if he’ll plump for my ticket?

Deep down I know that I won’t know until it happens…

I’m SOsoso glad everything turned out ok, pacificyorkshirebird!!!

A few years ago when my Mom was seriously ill I basically moved back for 9 months, leaving my wife and family here. It was the hardest time I have had since moving to the UK but ultimately I feel I did the right thing.

Typically it couldn’t have come at a worse time as I had my own health challenges to deal with then, and had on the times I came back I had to have hospital treatment myself.

I think I did the right thing and I realised how fortunate I was to have such a supportive family, and that my work situation allowed this.

The strange thing was that I felt very homesick (for my UK home) , a feeling that I never had when I left my (US) home as a young man. It taught me that I now belong in the UK, or perhaps a big city at least.