new poll - How long have you stayed?

I thought I'd start a new poll to find out how long people stay overseas with respect to how long they expect before they leave. Of course, this is presuming that you had particular expectations before you go (which many people probably don't).

I know that some people have difficulty with the adjustment and then go home early. Others go and love the place and then never leave! Of course, a lot of this depends on why you went in the first place. If you went for school or a specific work/volunteer contract, you may have no choice but to stay for the amount of time expected. There may not be the option to stay longer, especially with some visas.

I realise that many people probably have different experiences in more than one place. I guess, for the poll, choose one, and feel free to write about any others underneath.

After you fill out the poll, it'd be great to hear some of the reasons you stayed or went home!

Here's my info:

I've been living between two countries - Australia and Papua New Guinea. For the poll, I chose to use PNG. I chose, went home - came back (or planning to). I'll be back to PNG after I go home. I've fallen in love with the country and the people. I'm not sure yet in what capacity I'll be going back, either just on temporary fieldtrips in further research - or whether to get a job there. I'm also in the process of trying to set up an NGO (with a collegue) in PNG. So I'll be back for that I'm sure.

If I were to have chosen Australia, I would have said that I'm staying the length of time expected. I'm here on a student visa, so I really don't have a lot of choice. I could apply for a job here, but I don't really want to. If I'm going to apply for a job far from home, I'd go to PNG. Otherwise, I'd like to work back home in Canada - at least for a few years. I miss family and friends. Also, I haven't enjoyed Australia as much as I had expected.