I am a trailing spouse and have been a Hausfrau for five years. I worked for the NHS and my PCT very kindly allowed me to be on their 'Bank', which meant that I could do a few days work whilst visiting family in the UK.
This was great, I got to live in Switzerland with my husband instead of only seeing each other every other weekend, but still felt like I was employed and earning some of my own money.
That was until cut backs started and the PCT stopped using bank staff. The last time I worked was September 2009, and yesterday I received a letter from the Health Professions Council to say my registration is due for renewal, which it is every two years.
Unfortunately however, as I haven't practised my profession for over two years, I have to apply to have my name removed from the register, and if I want to have it put back, I need to reapply and do some retraining, which is fair enough.
I didn't think I would mind, but I now feel as if that is it, I am no longer a professional person, I have become unemployed and in effect unemployable.
If I had stayed in the UK, I would have clocked up 31 years with the NHS so far, now I have become a simple 'Hausfrau' with a reduced pension and no independence.
I suppose though, I am happier being with my husband in this wonderful country, I wasn't a 'career girl', but I did value being my own person. Our relationship is pretty strong but I now feel slightly wobbly about the future, my husband though has never resented me not working, but I feel guilty about it ( I am trying to learn German, but I can't see how I could ever do a 'proper job' with the language I have).