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FAO Missymoo
Hi Nicole, I notice you live in Cyprus and was just being nosy how you came to live there? We are hoping to emigrate in a couple of years but don't know where yet so are just gathering info on places etc,
Spain is looking like a popular choice so far for us but as i am part greek we are looking at the greek isles too and cypress.
Would love to know your experience and how you came to live out there.
Hope to hear from you soon
Louise xx
Spain is looking like a popular choice so far for us but as i am part greek we are looking at the greek isles too and cypress.
Would love to know your experience and how you came to live out there.
Hope to hear from you soon
Louise xx
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Replies
We moved to Cyprus about 3 years ago and live in Nicosia (me my partner, my lo Angelo and my cat).
My partner is English/Cypriot, moved to england when he
was 3 but had always wanted to try going back to live. So we did.
For me, the best thing about living here is the weather and the outdoor living. It is also a very family orientated culture and everyone loves kids. Even small children are always coming over to coo over our lo!
What did surprise me was how hard I found it when I first moved. After the initial 'holiday' period I was quite fed up and it actually took me about two years to settle into life over here. It can be lonely for a while too and even if you think you won't, you will probably pine for things back home (friends, family, corrie..lol!). I think when I started to make friends I began to find it easier.
The main thing you need to be aware of is that the cost of living isn't as low as people think. We find it quite expensive to live here sometimes. House prices are high and wages ridiculously low. There's also not much of a health service so you would need to be prepared to pay for all that or get good medical insurance. I think the cost of living is probably better in greece and even better in spain depending on whereabouts you are but not sure.
It can also very hard for non cypriots to get a job or start business over here and it would definitely make things easier if you made a huge effort to learn the language. I'm not sure what you plan to do but make sure you do a lot of research into it first.
Ive just realised I'm sounding negative now.. really, we're pleased we made the move and plan to stay at least a few more years. I think it's great for my lo who, although he will be raised in a very 'english' household, will also have the cypriot culture and be bilingual.
Are your family from mainland greece/islands or cyprus?Just being nosy now too!
If you have any more questions feel free to ask. xx
It sounds great but I know what you mean about doing lots of research into it first. I know it's easy to fantasise about moving abroad and look through rose coloured glasses so am always interested to hear from people who have actually done it.
My relatives are mainly from Athens but that is not somewhere we would consider really. I would prefer somewhere quieter I think.
We currently run our own business here at the moment but plan to sell up in a couple of years so will hopefully have enough capital to buy somewhere outright then probably do something internet based for a living. That's the ideal anyway
I imagine the language barrier is quite difficult at first is it or has your oh always been bilingual?
Are you planning to teach Angelo English as his first language and how easy is it for them to learn two languages? He looks gorgeous by the way!!
How long did it take for you to pick up the language?
Sorry for all the questions!
It is something we both agree we definitely want to do mainly because I am so sick of picking up the paper or switching on the news to hear of yet more crime which is increasingly being commited by youngsters and it really does scare me silly for Kade's future.
I know there will be crime wherever you go but it just seems to me other cultures don't seem to have the same binge drinking mentality and like you say they are very family orientated and respect each other which I like.......god I'm sounding like a proper old woman aren't I?
What I'm mainly worried about is like you say, becoming really homesick, and thinking we have made a huge mistake. It sounds like an ideal lifestyle but once you are living there will the shine wear off quickly when your struggling with the language and it's suddenly 'real life' and not like it was when you were on holiday.
You mentioned you would be staying there for a couple more years yet, does that mean you do plan to return to the UK for good in the future?
Anyway, sorry for lots of questions and babbling on, it's just something I want to get a clearer picture on.
Thanks again hun xx
I think it's great that you've both made the decision to move abroad and it sounds like you're being sensible about your expectations and doing it for the right reasons. I know what you mean about the uk..the crime rate is very low here and it's a nice feeling, we never lock the balcony door for instance (although we probably should just in case!).
Yeah the language barrier can be very difficult and I'm ashamed to say my greek is still fairly basic..it's not easy! Saying that it's easy to get away with as most people speak english very well in cyprus, whereas in greece you would probably be forced to try a bit harder. Jimmy's first language is english but he's also fluent in Greek so that definitely helps. What can be hard is when you need to deal with all the bureacracy, it can be hard to understand what the hell is going on. When we went through the process of buying our house we almost ended up with post traumatic stress disorder! Angelo's first language will be english but he will also learn greek as well. I think it's really easy for them if they hear both languages from an early age.
It sounds like a really good idea to set up something internet based
and work for yourself.
About the homesick thing..I it think it can be quite hard at first. You tend to start comparing things back home which really won't help you settle. As long as you are realistic and don't expect 'england' in the sun you will be fine.
I'm not sure if we will return to the UK in the future, I wouldnt mind. As much as I'm happy here at the moment I'm not sure I cant see myself living here forever. Also, although I would like Angelo to go to a greek school to start with I think I would like him to go to a 'big' english school and theyre quite expensive here .I managed to keep my house in england and I rent it out to cover the mortgage so we would have something to return to and I have to say it feels nice to have our options open. We might even think about another country completely!
God I'm also feeling really old now, talking about futures, houses, schools..argh.
Kade is so gorgeous too. I really want to give those cheeks a good squeeze! Anyway Ive rambled on long enough now. Would love to know how things go and what you decide. xx
I think having your property still in the UK is a really wise thing to do as it must feel a bit like a safety blanket that if all didn't work out, you have somewhere to return.
I metioned this to oh and he said if our circumstances allow, that is probably what we would end up doing too.
Lol about greek being difficult to learn, even though I have greek blood the language is like double dutch to me! I once tried to learn it but sheesh, it's hard isn't it?? I am guessing it would be far easier to pick up if you live there rather than off a dodgy cdrom off ebay
Anyway I will definitely let you know what happens even though we won't be looking to actually up sticks for another year or two yet but it's defo our goal so fingers crossed!
Thanks again Nicole, you've been fab!