I have a cousin who's been living in the UK for at least ten years now. She has a Hungarian husband and a daughter who was born there, and is about six months younger than my daughter. I feel some sort of jealousy when I think about how they live in the UK, something I would never be able to do so. Once the UK left the EU, it made it very difficult for people to move and work there. They introduced strict visa rules, and unless you work in a highly sought-after field, you have essentially zero chance of moving to the UK permanently. Sometimes I wish I had been braver back then and moved to Britain while the borders were open, but I had always been a fan of the USA, and I felt more drawn to it. Obviously, I never made it to the USA long-term, but looking at the current political environment, I don't regret it a bit. 

The reason it came to my mind is that she posted something on Facebook. We are not on speaking terms at the moment. I don't even know when the last time we talked was. I'm not angry or anything, we just have different views. BTW, a few years ago, I even unfriended her sister (who is a RE teacher in Hungary) because she posted something state propaganda and anti-LGBTQ stuff. I believe they used to vote Fidesz, which is funny when someone lives abroad and votes for this shitty government. ROFL, I guess. 

Okay, so she posted that she is studying something in Hungarian; she is studying to become a special needs teaching assistant. It is not even a university-level course, just an okj I believe. Since she is studying in Hungarian, I assume they are moving back to Hungary shortly. Interestingly, I feel offended by this. The reason is simple: they live in the UK and plan to move back, so why? I mean, I understand that the UK is not the same as it was 15 years ago, with the cost of living increasing and the quality of life deteriorating, the influx of immigrants from India, Pakistan, and other countries that were once British colonies or are still members of the Commonwealth is concerning. (Polish, Hungarian, and other Eastern European immigrants were pushed out, and even more people from Arab countries came to take their places...what a deal. Good job, Britain!) I also understand that it is hard to raise your child far away from family, considering one of your parents passed away a few years ago.

I know it's none of my business, but I'm still offended by their decision. When they moved to the UK, they were clear about not wanting to settle down there permanently, but to get enough years to be eligible for a UK pension when they get older. They can certainly earn more money from the UK than from Hungary.

Sometimes I mourn the opportunities I missed because I wasn't brave enough to face the unknown on my own. I often wonder how different my life would be now. Perhaps I wouldn't have kids, and I might be living under much worse circumstances — who knows? There are just too many 'what ifs'. All I can hope for now is that in my old age, no one will tell me what to do, where to go, or how long I'm allowed to stay. Sadly, the situation in Australia is similar to that in the UK: I have no degree, just money — and unfortunately, that's not enough. In this case, wealth isn't everything. And I'm getting older too, which doesn't help — they use a point-based system and you need to be invited to even get in. So, that door is closed too, I'm afraid.

I guess I just have to make peace with the choices I didn't make… and try to find freedom in the life I have now.