How long have you been gone?

elisagoulart

DH and I have been in Belgium for 2 years, and 10 months. I cannot believe its almost been 3 years. Sometimes it seems longer, especially if you think about it too much.

We'll probably be here for one whole more year, and hopefully not longer. Sometimes I get so anxious to get home, buy a house, and start our US life again...

How about you? How long have you been gone?

myblueangel19

I have been gone just over a year. It went by super fast and we are starting to settle into our neighborhood and try to put down some roots and make friends here.

Tofumonkey

We were in China for 6 years and have been in the UK for 3 so, 9 years now.

We used to think like you do, anxious to get "home", buy a house and start our Canadian life again - but were much happier once we changed our view to "home" being wherever the two of us are ( and now the 4 of us ) and being abroad not as putting our life on hold, but as contributing to our life and not putting any sort of end date on our expatriatism. We'll probably never move permanently back to Canada.

rpic81

We are one week shy of our three year anniversary. I know, I can'tbelieve how quickly time flies and how different our lives are now. we talk about going home in the next year or two, but we always say that.

PittPurple

We've been in Edinburgh for 5.5 years. I can't believe it's been this long either! We've lived here for our entire married life basically and did all of our growing up here - it's hard to picture what our lives will be like if/when we move back to the states.

GilliC

We moved to China in October 2005, so between there and here in Norway, it's been almost exactly 6 years.

kelly321

I've been abroad total for over 8 years since 2000. This stint has been since 2005, so 6 years since I've lived in the States for any length of time. Other than a couple of months here and there when DH gets paternity leave, I doubt we'll move to the States permanently. My job chances here are much better than his there. Maybe he'll get a job with an international company here that also has offices in the States so we can live there for a few years, but I can't see that happening soon and I wouldn't want to make our kids switch back and forth between countries once they're school-aged. Once ok, twice maybe, but no more than that.

LadyMadrid08

It was 3 years in August.  I can't believe it!

azure_azure

We've been abroad since June 2001 so just over 10 years. 7 were in Vietnam and now 3 in France. I can't believe it's been a third of my life! I still remember the smell and feeling arriving at SGN for the first time!

We don't have any plans to return to Canada to live. I'd love to go back to live in though.

Mrs DRJ

It will be five years in January.  We have spent our whole married lives overseas and are considering a move to India until Fall 2014 (see post below).  We love our life and also are preparing to move back to the US; saving for a DP, retirement, etc.  

titicole

8 years.  Mainly in the UK, with a 10 month stint in Korea.  The end all be all of questions.  Where the hell will we settle?  It depends on DH's career really.

risainthesky

It will be three years in January and probably at least another two before we head home. We talk about moving home all the time, but our quality of life here is better so we're in no rush to move back.

ILikePineapples

Between 5-10 years so far and will be here for life probably.

bugabean

The word "gone" just strikes me as inaccurate for my situation; Denmark is my home now. I've been here a bit over 4 years.

GibbyLod

LadyMadrid08:

It was 3 years in August.  I can't believe it!

Same. But I moved so much before coming here that, when I came here, I made it my home. (I was tired of living out of a suitcase) 

ktkl09

3 years last August, I can't believe its been that long! DH and I always talk about moving to the US, but we'll see.

Bananas0827

Counting the six months I spent here before I got my visa, 3 years.

gblake

1.8 years.

amwallace

We have been here for just over a year. We're beginning to feel settled, and our friendships are growing. We are going to be here at least one more year. DH's work contract is for one more year. We really don't know where we'll be then. He is growing frustrated with his company, so if things don't get fixed, I think he'll be looking for a different job. We have talked about doing another position possibly in Asia or Africa for another couple years. We'll see what happens!

stever

I'm home now, but the longest I lived abroad was 7 years - 3 years in London followed by 4 years in Vancouver.

NCV2

I will be in London for 4 years in Dec. 

sucredee

21 years...came here at 17 for college and never left

vrichardson

England for two non consecutive years. We'll probably be here for another 5+.

AmericanInOz

Wow well I guess I left the states 10 years ago!!! where does the time go? I think I moved over in October?? of 2001 - gosh I didn't even realise this year was my 10 year anniversary of moving overseas - holy cow

I lived in London for 6 years with dh

travelled

and have now lived in Australia for 3 years this Christmas

 

 

Publius

Just over three years. We don't have plans to return to the US permenantly. Usually I'm 110% fine with that, but since getting back from our most recent trip to the US the fact that I don't get to see my nieces and nephew that often has been grating on me a bit.

ebartzen

I left the US 3.5 years ago. The first couple were in Canada, which doesn't seem like much difference, but it is when you don't have a work permit, bank account, or proper visa.

We've been in South Africa just over a year now.

MouseInLux

I've lived out of the UK since I was 14, so about 14 years.

jldittber

10 Months  

 I can see how many of you say 3+ years and they flew by.  This time has zoomed. 

welshgirl

I've been in the UK for 11 consecutive years. That's scary. I'd lived otu of the US before, for shorter stints (under a year), but this is the long-term stint/permanant move.

Mrs.E.07

over 5 years. Like a few others, I've spent my entire married life (and then some!) here. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. We will stay here at least another 3-4 years until I'm done with school and internship, and then will re-evaluate. It's looking like I will try to do my residency in the US after that, but when I'm done with residency....who knows!!

I like our life here and I'm happy here. BUT I still really miss my family and friends. Despite having lived here for 5 years, I still don't have any really close friends here. I talk to my good friends in the US a lot, but...it's not the same. And who knows how I/we'll feel after we have kids.

elisagoulart

Wow, it's so funny how differently everyone feels about their situation. I like that most people say they talk about moving home all the time, and always say "one more year" we are just like that.

I feel like this is definitely not permanent for us. I don't want to be here forever and in a lot of ways we haven't made it our home. We're not even allowed to put holes in the wall, so we have posters taped up around our house. It does not feel that settled, but at the same time its not like we are living out of suitcases.

Our positions are contracts, which have could end at any time (usually every 6 months or a year at a time) but they always seem to get renewed. We both have jobs with our US company at home to go back to, but there is no real rush. They are happy making money off of us here for as long as we will stay.