Homeward Bound

Apologies for the scarcity of blog posts recently - there is an awful lot of upheaval and change going on for P and I at the moment - and it's led to a distinct shortage of time and little cheerful news to impart.

Very long story short, after two totally crappity crap crap crapulous years in which we have endured redundancy, unemployment, bereavement, health problems and being stuck in a crappity crapulous rented house for much longer than either of us had ever anticipated (we were two days away from cutting a deal on a beautiful house to buy when redundancy hit us as a bolt from the blue) I am heading back to Bristol to live whilst P has been forced to find work abroad.

Upsides of all this are: we are - finally - going to own our own house; I'll be just round the corner from my Mum (and Lily the cat;) my sister, nephew and brother-in-law are only a short car drive away; I know the area well and still have friends there.

Major downside, of course, is that P and I will have to live apart for however long it takes for him to find work in the UK again.  It is hard to believe, with unemployment apparently falling rapidly, that a specialised solicitor with years of industry experience, who speaks three languages fluently (and two more to a pretty high standard,) and who has more qualifications than you can shake a stick at has, after two years of exhaustive and relentless job applications, found it totally impossible to find work here. 

If it had happened to anyone else I would have thought they were not trying hard enough but I can honestly say that P has exhausted every avenue either he or I could think of.  He has been prepared to do any sort of legal work within his field of speciality, at any location within the UK.   He has written hundreds of speculative letters, 95% of which go completely unanswered, applied for any and every job he thought he might have any chance of getting - again, the vast majority of those applications go unanswered - and attended several dozen interviews (astonishingly enough, even after attending interviews he often never hears from the company again.  It is so rude and disheartening and when, exactly, did it become OK to treat people in such an appalling manner!!) 

Eventually, back in the summer, we knew we'd have to start thinking outside of the box (and, indeed, outside of the UK) and he has now been offered short-term contract work in the Far East.  He's also got a couple of applications still on the boil for legal jobs in Switzerland (where he was born and brought up) which we are desperately hoping will come to fruition as Switzerland is a darn sight nearer  to the UK than the Far East is.

So yeah, it's a difficult time and somewhat bittersweet.  Sweet because I'll be much nearer to my family but hellishly bitter because P won't be there with me.

Comments

[jeanie]

Dear Elizabeth,
Oh dear. So sorry to hear about the upheaval in your life. Rest assured that there are many good thoughts and good wishes and prayers coming your way.
Best,
Jeanie

[Loo xx]

Oh Elizabeth what a difficult time for you both. Hopefully something positive will come out of this. Good luck both of you. xx

[Vix]

I'm so sorry to hear of all the upheaval, hope things work out well for you both in the end. x

[fiona]

Sorry to hear of your troubles Elizabeth, what a difficult time you have been having. I do hope things improve for you in the not too distant future.

[Jean]

That's so tough, keep your chin up until things get sorted. All my very best wishes to you.
Jean x

[Daisy Chain]

Sounds like it's been a very stressful time. At least you'll have all those reunions to look forward to. Hope everything works out. x

[Briget]

So sorry to hear this news Elizabeth. Will be good to have your family close by when P is away, but I hope a job comes through for him in the UK.

My DH has been made redundant too, but we are treating it as early retirement (he is 61) as getting another job at his age in this economic climate in Australia is near impossible.

[sharie]

So sorry to hear this Elizabeth. I really hope it will be a short term solution for you both.

It will be good that you are near family once more while you are on your own. Its good you have some stability in your life. And, at least you will own your own house and will have time to make it look fantastic when your hubby comes home.

BTW my nephew is studying law and feels very despondent at the moment. He's good at it but wonders at his employment prospects in the future...

[gill]

Sorry to hear you've been having a tough time of it Elizabeth. It will be hard for you I know but being near to your family will be a great support until P finds work in the UK again. My husband was made redundant 6 years ago from a well-paid job, and it seemed like the end of the world at the time, but gradually we've adjusted to a lower income and he now works as a groundsman and loves the outdoor life. Often as one door closes so another opens and I don't miss our old life at all. Very best of luck, sending positive thoughts your way x

[Maureen]

Sad news, indeed, Elizabeth.

I do so hope that something comes P's way worthy of his talents.

[French Knots]

What a difficult prospect for you both to face, having family near by will be positive for you while you adjust to being apart. Fingers crossed that something closer to home comes up for P x

[Debbie]

Sorry to hear of the challenges you are facing at the moment, Elizabeth. My husband was made redundant and out of work for 16 months a few years ago, it was a very difficult time, so I feel for you both.

It will be lovely to have your own home though, and to be near your friends and family. I hope it won't be too long before P can be with you there.

[RachaelC]

I really feel for you and P having to be apart, and with P's struggles with the current job market. I always enjoy your blog, and admire the way you are coping through this difficult time. All the very best, Elizabeth.