Hello UKphiles! So I am in a bit of a pickle at home. We moved from Spain to Somerset, UK 2.5 years ago. My husband is English and loves it here, we live next door to his mum! There is certainly much about England to love but for me anyway winter is not one of them! I am desperate to move back to Spain but my husband won’t have it, and I am trying to find a fair compromise that allows me to escape some of the coldest months here.
Btw I understand of course winter is tough for everyone! And my ideas may be harebrained but hear me out. Basically I really struggle in winter…I grew up in southern Africa and spent most of my adult life in hot countries because I get so miserable in the cold. I get pretty depressed and self-isolate, I stop eating/eat too much. This year for the first time I’ve asked the GP for medication, but this is something I really would rather avoid doing on a seasonal basis. More recently, i had spinal surgery and 8 rods and screws in my back and the metal hardware can be excruciating in the cold.
My ideas are:
Could I take my daughter out of year 1 in the UK and spend January to May in Spain? I could homeschool her so she doesn’t miss out on anything. Is there any way I could justify this and have a regular arrangement (I know prolongued absence from school in teh UK is punishable by fines of up to 2,500 pounds and prison!).
Could I register as a traveller and homeschooling for part of the year?
Is there any way this arrangmenet or something similar could work? I know it may seem really spoilt, having one’s cake and eating it etc., but I’m trying to avoid my children having a depressed mum or no dad if we went back to Spain solo…:(
Thank you for any advice!
To be honest I"ve been almost doing that - just heading back to Spain at any opportunity. The problem is their dad won’t travel more than once or twice a year, he thinks its extravagant. So it means the sun breaks are these fraught, frazzled, stints of solo parenting and just too difficult.