Turkey and the Five Year Itch

[quackers]

After 6 years here we are stıll lovıng ıt. We planned to lıve abroad on retırement and chose here. It does not tıck all our boxes but 90% of them. Wıll we ever return to UK? Who knows. July and August are a trıal but bearable ıf I dont have to go anywhere but the pool.  I sometımes mıss a few thıngs (not many though) and would love a long sandy beach but on the whole I can see us stayıng here for a long long time.

[busybee]

Eight years on and still love my small piece of paradise and yes thats what Calis is to me, despite it looking like the Beirut most of the time.  You have to the patience of a saint with regard to red tape(but you do in the UK too) and  building works etc. I am an outdoors person and there's not many days when I get up that I cant just step outside.  Its 7.30ish, still in bed with my cuppa and laptop with all the doors and windows open with views all around.  I feel part of a small community here and there's never enough hours in the day for me.  I also have this sense of freedom that I dont feel in the UK. Maybe thats becuase I am retired now but I know we could never afford the lifestyle we have here, in the UK.  We dont have a car, dont want one, but with buses going everywhere at low cost its not a problem.  If I added up the cost of all the activities that I do and going out couple of nites out a week it would probably equate to one night out in the UK.

There are good and bad, wherever you live but for me the good here outwieghs the bad, so I'm stopping!!!!!!

[Diverbaz 1]

Five and a half years now and no thoughts of moving, and if we were to move it would not be to the UK.

Life is still good, there are not enough hours in a day. If we returned to the UK, we would more than likely be stuck in the house when not working, we would have to work as there is no way we could live on my pensions back there, yet here we have a very good way of life as well a good social life.

[philrose]

8 years and still happy, and if for some reason we couldn't stay in Turkey then our next destination would not be the UK....

[Rimms]

At one time I noticed quite a few people leaving but most of them needed to work here and there are a multitude of reasons why that combination doesn't work out here.
I don't see people leaving in droves but in the main, we are an older community of expats and so you would always expect to see people leaving for health reasons etc.

I get the point about becoming frustrated about the way things work, or should I say don't work here, yesterday I spent an hour in a bank waiting to pay my SGK which I do around this time every month only to be told when I finally reached the cashier, there are no debits showing on your account? But hey ho !

Anyway, I'll check back on this one in 4 years time and let you know. Never say Never !

[janmack]

This is our 9th year and although we are still pretty happy we do not plan to stay forever, we never have to be honest.  It's changed a lot here over the years and not necessarily for the better.  We're not sure where we will end up and we have no desire to return to the UK to live...couldn't afford to anyway without working!  I have always wanted to get a camper and just take off...still trying to convince Phil though.  There's a big world out there and it's quite exciting talking about all the places we have yet to experience.

[davybill]

we have been living to Calis for five years,and still love it,made many friends here,when in UK we had a moter home, travelled all
round Europe, came to Turkey decided to move here sold the moter home and havnt looked back since,
family& friends come out and visit us and they enjoy it,so staying putt at the moment

[stoop]

My son arrives back home next month after five years in Thailand. Must have the same itch   

Not necessarily Stoop. People come back from Thailand with a whole manner of itches.   

Haha! Brilliant! Must convey that to him  

[mercury]

When Barrie and I came here 6 years ago we had every intention of making fethiye our "forever home" however thoughts have changed and we are now heading back at the beggining of June after 8 years owning here and 6 years living here... I had said up until the last 12 months that I would never go back but events sometimes take over... In truth if it wasnt for being on the 3CS charity we may have gone back sooner.. It gave us a social life... More fun than we could have imagined... Such good friends and a reason to get up in a morning... I would never have done a para glide. Gone in the sea on new Years day... Helped to Organise the best all day concert in Calis.. Been part of the best Calis Carnivals.. Been part of Bozalan...been an events co ordinator and best of all "The health and safety officer for the charity" lol... yes we do have health and safety.!! The hours we spent together in the early days of the Carnival committee and now the 3cs will stay with me forevever... The fun and the laughs..They outway the negative aspects   of trying to get blood out of a stone and the self serving attitudes of SOME of the bars that think we are there just for them... But most of all  the reaction of the Children at Bozalan whose video I still cant watch without filling up... All the schools we have been too.. The disabled girl and her family who we gave the electric wheelchair too which changed hers and her families lives forever and the many many more children we have met.. I need to give a SPECIAL mention. To Barb. of course who has dragged me into allsorts of situations all fun.. She will says its me of course... Peter and Chrissie who Invited me to join their committee because they thought I would be an "asset" and have the greatest respect for..  Jan. Rod, Mark J. Graham. Kevin.Mick. Bees hubby The original "crew" still working so hard for the charity and I still love all of them even after the disagreements lol .Barrie of course who has given more support than you could imagine.. putting up with our home being like Steptoes yard when I did the internet selling and getting up with me to every car boot at 5.a.m..
and last but NOT LEAST Highlander..Scunner... Whose private messages of support this last few months have been wonderful. AND CBF because we probably would never have come to live here in the first place without it.. The info and support from the members has been simply amazing... Thank you all so much.. gonna have a cry now....

[Marggie]

It's a well known saying that you get out of life what you put in.  Boy do you deserve to have had so much pleasure from helping the children.

Good luck for your return to the UK.   Hope you settle back in and don't miss Calis too much.