Any Gransnetter living abroad?

I hope things start to improve for you Sheila once this pesky covid is out of our lives.

I notice you point out German seriousness and lack of humour in Berlin. Just a word of warning, there are posters on here who will jump on your stereotyping inhabitants of other countries. I had an amusing dig at the French recently and was severely criticised for foreigner bashing! What I omitted to say was that like you I was attracted enough to a Frenchman to want to marry him!

I live in Switzerland btw, the French speaking part- near where I was born and bred. After 40 years in UK in several locations, returned here in retirement to look after my very elderly parents, now gone. Always intended to go back to UK, but this is much less likely now.

Which part of Berlin are you in? I was in the East just after the wall came down- in 92, in Lichtenberg. People seemed cold ont he surface, but they were amazing once you got to know them. Are you fluent in German?

I assume you are new Sheila so why not post on here again, it might help with homesickness, and occupy you as there are so many different subjects covered. I spend far too much time on it, but in these difficult days, it helps. Join in, you would be made very welcome I am sure.

Thank you very much for your comments. Yes, I think it probably is a case of "other mans grass syndrome". What I really miss is the mentality sometimes. I know life can be difficult in UK as well as every country but we all seem to get on with it with our typical sense of humour. I get very tired of the German seriousness and lack of humour and especially in Berlin, their friendliness. Perhaps just moving out of this city would be a solution. Anyway, I think Covid19 exaggerates the way I feel at the moment. Regards to all and roll on 2021, can only get better!

Ate you homesick of the country and family you remember or to the one that may be waiting for you?

Plenty of my friends emigrated and then went back to home country.
They were so surprised how much the home country had changed, they had changed as people too (different mentality than the one they had when they left)

My husband was like you when we lived in Spain. Eventually, I gave in and we returned to the UK. He doesn't like it and would give anything to live in Spain again, but now, of course, we can't.

I think 'the other man's grass' is very true.

sheila so sorry you feel this way, I only moved 2 hours away from ‘home’ and I would give anything to go back.
But if I did, my family are no longer alive, other friends and family have all moved away and buildings that I knew have either gone or have been built around so that I probably would struggle to settle back in.
I think it’s the ‘other mans grass’ syndrome! I know I am better off where I am now and we can’t live on nostalgia.

Hello Sheila. Welcome to gransnet if you are new.
There are a number of grans who live abroad with a couple in Germany I think, who might come along in a bit.
I can only say my dear mum did your journey in reverse moving from Germany in her twenties until she died in the uk some years ago. She never went back because she said she would be a foreigner there, it being so long since she had been away, though her times were war and post war, different to now. My daughter has been in Germany fir a long time, with no plans to return.
I am sorry you are feeling a bit homesick. It’s probably because you have stopped working, I am not sure if there is the same volunteering opportunities in Germany as we have here? It might be worth looking around.
It’s not great here at present, I would stay where you are for now.

We live in France Sheila and have found the last year difficult not being able to visit family in UK. My grandchildren are all grown up now so we are able to keep in touch with Whatsapp etc. We have been able to meet up with friends etc in between lockdowns so not totally isolated. We live in a very rural area so are used to being on our own with just the animals for company. My husband does not want to go back to UK to live, I would quite like to but financially it would be difficult. I'm generally happy here,