Brit who moved to Turkey shares biggest culture shock compared to 'depressing' UK

With rain and windy conditions prevailing in the UK, many of us may be thinking about jetting off on holiday - or even dreaming of moving abroad. Relocating to a different country can be such an adventure but also a big culture shock - and some people never come back once they've left the UK.

One British mum, who always loved holidaying in Turkey as a child, has opened up about what it has been like living back in the UK after eight years working abroad. Mum-of-one Claire spent just shy of a decade working 70 hours a week for Thomas Cook as a holiday rep. However, she got a feeling that it was time to move on and give living in the UK another go.

While working for Thomas Cook she claims she was able to select her preferred destination during a season and was typically placed wherever she wanted to be. However she said a rule was introduced where you could not work in the same destination two years in a row, meaning she had to mix up her choice of destination.

In her final season in 2014 she knew wouldn't be placed back in her favourite spot of Marmaris, Turkey so went to Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

Soon after, Claire decided her time at Thomas Cook was up. She explained: "If you think you path is not leading you where you wanting to go, it will lead you to where you're meant to be, so always follow it."

She continued: "For some reason my path was leading me out of Marmaris and I didn't get it at the time as I really wanted to stay - I would have done anything to stay. But I needed a reason to stay and at first it was my job keeping me there but after that I thought something else is telling me to go."

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Ready to move on, Claire moved back to the UK and had positive prospects as she looked forward to starting her new job as a receptionist in a hotel - a role she still has today.

However, Claire found adapting back to life in the UK much harder than she had anticipated.

She said her first two years back in the UK were "horrible" and added it was "so boring and depressing."

Claire explained how different life is in Turkey, and said: "It was just the whole lifestyle - you'd finish work in the bright sunshine, you'd have the beach across from your work office. The whole lifestyle is just so different to over here."

After two years of struggling, Claire said to made an extra effort "trying her best to belong." She put herself out there, and soon met and her Turkish husband.

She said: "I loved being with him because he reminded me so much of my past and I still love it now - I feel like I haven't lost them eight years [sic] that I worked abroad because he reminds me so much of them and I love that."

Claire admitted that "you get so much more" support as a parent in the UK than in Turkey, however that doesn't rule out her thinking about moving back in the future.

She concluded: "So yeah, that's why I left the place that I loved and would I ever want to return? Absolutely. I think we know that by now that I absolutely would love to return."