After returning the Ford Focus last week, we're back to reality driving our beat-up old wagon and figuring out logistics of who needs it at what point in the day. The winner gets to drive around in traffic and clock-up wasted hours of their life looking for car spaces.
(I'm writing this post to vent...)
In the last couple of weeks I've aborted several supermarket missions because I couldn't park the car. I've had to leave a friends party early due to her residing in an area with only 1hr parking and the process of looking for a new spot with Raging Toddler was too much for me on that particular day.
PB continually jests that one day we'll move to Ulladulla, a coastal town he inhabited a while ago. We won't – but we will leave Sydney for a more peaceful, affordable existence. In recent talks we even managed to agree upon a possible location, which has been a major breakthrough in discussions of this matter. A new bloggy-buddy passed on this little gem of a quote – Bloom Where You're Planted – and I've been repeating it to myself constantly while deep down my heart is waiting for a sea-change.
I'm interested, do you live in the city or country? I always thought I'd be a city girl but more and more the noise and crowds overwhelm me. PB and I joke that by the time we're 80 we'll be total recluses – living in a dead end street and only trekking into town once a week for groceries. As long as we can get a car space I guess that'd be ok!
36 comments:
Oh hon, I hear ya.
My partner and I moved our family from a small country town to what felt, to us, the city. It's not, it's the Central Coast, but hey, there were traffic light and - as our then youngest at about six pointed out, no road kill.
Since then I've started working in the city and commute four hours a day. It's frantic and the blessing is the lovely waterside village we live in, which is beautiful.
There isn't a day though when I don't miss the wide open spaces, easy going lifestyle and neighbours and streets and workplaces that were as much a part of your life as family.
I moved from Sydney to Newcastle last year. The biggest reason was so we could have a life outside of working full-time, commuting and fighting traffic on weekends to get to the beach. I can honestly say its the best decision we've ever made. We are 10 mins drive to the beach with a mortgage a quarter of what it would be in Sydney. I work part time so I get to spend time with my kids and we get a (free!) park NEXT to the beach every time we visit. There's so much going on in this town every day to keep us busy and interested. There is life outside of Sydney and it's rad.
I live in rural New Jersey and sometimes I wish I lived in a tiny hut in the mountains. Though, I'm no where near a large city, I can't stand seeing farms and living in such... bore. Does that make sense? Maybe I'll move to a different planet! :)
Yes, Newcastle is the best! Close enough to Sydney to go there if you need to, bug enough in it's own right to have lots happening but small enough that it is easy to get around and there is only about two degrees of separation between everyone you meet.
You sound just like me. City life in Sydney is a bit crazy these days... I find myself day dreaming about a big garden, dogs, maybe a goat. I know I'll definitely become a hermit though so I have to put it off as long as I can!
City or country?...it's the main reason why, despite actively looking for almost a year, we haven't bought a house yet!
I love Melbourne (inner-city) and being around 'stuff' and to be honest Melbourne doesn't feel too chaotic to me. Andy, however, grew up in Tasmania and deep down is a vege growing, gumboot wearing tree-hugger.
This week we have our eye on Woodend VIC. Next week who knows xx
I'm sick of being broke here and dream about a change too. I think it's normal when you have a kid that you crave a simpler life? Kellie xx
PS FUCKING PARKING. I hear you.
We just got back to city Brisbane from being on the NSW coast for 5 weeks. Every morning I wake up and mumble that I miss camping. I miss the coast, the bush, the space and the simplicity of it all.
As for the long run (we had this conversation alot while away) geographically my heart says GO!!!! Community and family wise by heart says STAY!!! We are renters. I didn't think we'd buy for years, yet yesterday I find myself looking at houses for sale and today I have been driving past them. How quickly things can change. I tell myself it wouldn't be forever...
I was brought up in a small village in the North East of England, so I suppose in Australia it is classed as a 'country girl' - but in the UK your not really that far away from one of the major cities (30mins to Newcastle). Living there everyone knows you, which can have its downsides.
We have lived in Sydney's Northern suburbs and now the Hills for the last 7 years and I do miss that community feel. Everyone keeps themselves to themselves and sometimes I don't speak to another adult for the entire day!
And don't get me started on the traffic!
I was talking to Paddy last night about our conversations, and about that quote. Guess what he said? "Yes, but what about the veggie garden that we had to replant and move around the yard three times because it kept dying?"
Talk about killing the positive vibes.
Firstly, happy 2 years Rummeys. Glad to hear you had a cracker day!
Secondly, we've been talking about this for years. The thought of a mortgage in Sydney makes me physically sick, the traffic is a nightmare and public transport is abysmal to say the least. Newcastle is top of our list at the moment. Something beachy but not too 'coasty'. xx
i think daniel and I are already recluses. ha! daniel still dreams of living in melbourne but the only move i can envision us making is deeper into the country - for quiet, space and a house with our children (in which quiet and space may not be possible) x
I'd say I live in a town. Moved from the captial - an hour's drive south - about 3 years ago. There's good and bad for everything of course. The more rural, the longer the drive...but...the higher the speed limit, and the more green the scene. Lack of artistic culture on the doorstep grates..but...in the quieter moments there's more head space to create yourself.
HA! I grew up in Batemans Bay. My patens still live there and my in-laws in Dolphin Point (just south of the 'dulla). As much as I love it down there it ain't what it used to be. Maybe I am just getting older but it definately isn't as quaint and quiet as it once was ....
That said, I'm now a Shire girl. Love it.
My husband and I recently moved out to "the country" - a small town about an hour out of London, having spent the past four years living right in the thick of it, walking distance to Westminster Abbey, hearing Big Ben chime at night. That was great (!) but the general crappiness of our flat (and nightmare landlord!), the constant noise, and the cost of living in the city was really wearing us down. We were also both working in full time jobs that weren't happy or fulfilling; we were only doing them because we needed the money to keep this lifestyle going, a lifestyle we weren't 100% sure was making us happy.
We made the move, I still commute in to London 3 days a week, and our lives are so much better - I have not had a moment's regret. Everything is cheaper. We're going to be able to get a car soon because we have somewhere to park it (!) and we are homeowners rather than renting and that has been a huge thing for my peace of mind.
I don't think anyone ever regrets making a seachange. Everything has its pros and cons, but you are right, "bloom where you're planted" but also do what is right for you right now, which might change down the track too. I don't know if we'll live out there forever, I think I'd like to go back to London eventually, but for where we are in our lives right now it is perfect.
Hi Anna, We lived in Sydney for 10 years and left in 2008 with 2 small children. The house we were renting was being sold and we couldn't find anything else decent to rent in our price range, so we decided to look "out of town" - somewhere we could potentially afford to buy. My husband still needed to travel to Sydney often for work, so we looked North, South and West from Sydney with a commute of 1 hour max. We ended up in the lower Blue Mountains and we love it. We rented up here for a couple of years to make sure it would work, and then bought a place. From here we can get to the inner west (where we used to live) in about 50 minutes on a good day (i.e. NOT peak hour! But luckily my husbands work hours are pretty much the opposite of peak hour).
Now we have 3 kids and every time I go into Sydney, I hit Parramatta Rd and I can feel my blood pressure rise! I sooooo remember being stuck in seemingly endless traffic jams with cranky kids in the back seat! Now, in the Mountains, I joke that if I can't get a park right outside.... I ain't going in! Seriously, it's made many things so much logistically easier. And it's an AWESOME community up here.
You'll figure out what works for you and your family though. I LOVE "bloom where you're planted". Good luck!
I am from sydney but have lived in melbourne for about eleven years now. i love it here, the pace is a little slower than sydneys. hope you get your sea change!
Hong Kong, London, Sydney. I've ticked off a few big cities and whilst I love them, I dream of a living in a town. A town the size you might find in the UK - a Sheffield or a Nottingham, a Bath or a Bristol. The only problem seems to be that towns that size seem few and far between in Oz - Newcastle is the only option we can think of too.
I am a total sea-changer. From inner-city Melbourne to beach-side area. I love it. Melbs is only 1hr away. And that also means shit is one hour away - no parking, vacuous lives, over-run ants with tall buildings around them. Yes, it sounds totally strange - but that's how it looks from the outside. Now I have city, beach and relaxation - and country living. Life is slower, lovelier and more life rather than living. Life is away from the city for us - and thankfully we made that move sooner rather than later.
Parking is a bitch when the cars:spaces ratio is about 100:1. When we lived in the city centre, I spent half my life looking for a space outside our house (or somewhere near at least). Sometimes we'd not go places because the thought of trying to re-park was too much. Now we live within a 20 minute walk of the centre but there's no permit parking and there's always spaces. Blimey, what a long paragraph about parking...
I love where we live now. Very close to the countryside with a little old skool village just round the corner, but still in the midst of town. Not sure I could ever become a real country girl, i need a bit of city! xx
We live in a small City in the UK and can rarely park outside our own house due to the parking restrictions in place for shoppers. The council have a parking scheme for residents but I really begrudge having to pay to park in my own street knowing whether I have a permit or not there will still be no spaces available. So we park a few streets away which no doubt annoys the residents in that street.
Oh how I dream of one day living in a house with a driveway! grrr, thanks for letting me vent too!
I had such a great time as a kid in the country. Grew up, did my city gig, now moving back to my roots, ah the peaceful countryside (but this time it's the European version of, sort of the same except the cows and the chickens speak french.)
We just moved from Munich ,Germany, to the suburbs of Zurich, Switzerland. Our little girl is now almost 1,5 years old and although I always thought I was a city person, I am now so happy to be able to just take her out for walks without worrying about cars, too much. Public transport here is great and we actually sold our car!!! My husband travels into the city by train, which is great!
However, we also have a plan to eventually settle in a small town in the Austrian alps...where our little girl can snowboard and enjoy nature! I love your quote btw!
We moved from the Northern Beaches to just outside Newcastle ( on the coast ) 6 months ago.
We'd been plotting and planning for years waiting for an opportunity to come up with my husbands work. One finally did and he took a backwards step career wise, took a 30 percent paycut and off we went. I'll never be more proud of him as a partner and father than the day he said yes and it's been the best thing we've ever done. We have a LIFE. He's home spending much more time with our boys ( 5 and 2) and the change in their relationship has made it worth it alone. We have much less money, will continue to drive our "old banger" car for a while longer but we can afford a home without having to kill ourselves to pay for it and get to spend more time as a family. That will do me :-)
oh anna, what you have described here about the parking situation...i say run for your lives. i would never cope.
Hi Anna.
We moved from Melbourne to the beach town of Barwon Heads (about 20 mins from Geelong and 1 hour and half from Melbourne) about a year ago.
It was just before my eldest child started school. We knew no one here but it didnt stop us. It has been the best thing ever. Not one day in the last 12 months have I missed my old house. We make it back to Melbourne every couple of months for a day visit but moving to this small community was the best decision we ever made.
The kids LOVE it and being in a small community with kids and the beach ... its pretty darn perfect.
Hope you find your perfect place when the time is right.
Were living at the dead end of a road with no other life in site or in ear shot - except for animal life...its pure bliss Anna I love to have my city fix but there is nothing like returning to the peace and calmness of country living. something kids and cars just don't blend x
Oh I hear you! I'm so sick of driving/parking in Sydney. The other day I was carless and I had to get to my friend's to then get to the airport so i paid $50 for a cab ride that went my place to newtown because the traffic was so bad! WTF?!?!?
Ok enough of me venting... But the thing is, I'm not actually sure that i could live in the country. I think it'd drive me nuts. Byron, now that i might be able to get behind :)
I live in the middle middle middle (surry hills) of the world, i mean, sydney right now but in a mere 6 weeks time we are moving to our amazing 1920s weatherboard cottage in the country. We will be able to get a dog, grow our own food, and slow the flip down (oh and also, we could afford to buy the house!). Im so excited. I always thought i was a city girl too, and ive loved the 8 years ive lived here (probably because i dont have a car!) but im so excited for our tree change.
Hey Anna, I'm a new reader of your blog, we have little girls about the same age :) And I just wanted to say, yep, NODDING along with this post...
I am SO TIRED Of parking and traffic in Sydney - even here on the Northern Beaches. It is sucking my spirit some days, but similar to your "bloom where you're planted".... I recently stumbled across "the grass is greener where you water it"
Am trying to do this. We too will leave Sydney - a move to Brisbane where we can afford a house, a garden and a less frenzied life , but for now, I must make do and water my patch here.
Becks
xx
We made the moved from central London to the suburbs of Oslo,Norway 15 months ago and whilst it's taken a long time to adjust it's the best thing we could ever have done! Life is now so much less stressful and enjoyable. Good luck Anna!
I was convinced I was a city girl too until I moved to Paris and discovered what city living truly meant! I love it and hate it here. But since Liam was born, I hate it more than I love it. I don't want him to grow up in this noisy, polluted environment where he is not allowed to play ball in the parks or sit on the grass. We have good jobs for now which we are not yet set to give up but our long term plan is to get the hell outta here and live in a house in the country. Paris is a wonderful place, but not where I see myself raising my children and spending the rest of my life. I need space. I need quiet. I need more freedom.
Hello! I haven't posted for such a long time, so please ignore my blog - it will revive again some day but I use it at the moment as an index page to all my favourite blogs (like yours!).
We were living in Sydney until 9 months ago - living in a teeny tiny apartment in Lizzy Bay with amazing views from our run down art deco apartment, but we were living a totally unsustainable lifestyle. The impending birth of our second baby made us rethink what's important to us, what lifestyle we want our kids to have and we needed room to MOVE! I clearly remember bursting into tears regularly when being unable to find a car park, the resignation to paying $4 for a packet of Carrs crackers from up the road and the constant noise from the daily garbage collection making us slowly turn crazy.
We have moved back to Adelaide(after 12 years away and swearing I would never return) - a HUGE move (I cried almost constantly for the first few months), but with 2 young kids, the ease of the glacial pace of the life and the space to grow our own food, the move now makes total sense for us. And for the first time in our lives we are saving money towards our own patch of turf one day. And finally, I am happy.
I'm sure you will find peace wherever your sea change takes you. Sydney is an absolute gem; I miss it to bits but a growing family does make you re-evaluate doesn't it?
Funnily enough my husband and I did the tree change thing and moved to a gorgeous village in the southern highlands. I was born and raised in the country and we dreamed of moving there. We hated every second and I whole heartedly mean that. We feel about our life in the city the way most people feel about the country / beach strange. We do leave a very simple life in the city, take advantage of everything it offers us and truly love our life. For us this is home for good. You will know what's right for you and feel when you have found your true home. Do enjoy what you have in the meantime then when you move on you will know you squeezed everybit of life out of the place.
Lady Moss x
Rainbow Lane
we very nearly sold our house up on the nthn beaches to move down to the southern highlands. the dream is still there. Unfortunately the reality was hubby was going to still work in the city so we'd see less of him and he'd spend more time travelling. we still dream about it and think we'll probably try to buy something when the kids are older so we can get out of the city on weekends or we'll move further up the beaches to avalon or bayview to get a bit more space and peace and quiet.
it gets harder when kids start school so my advice would be move before school starts because everything changes!
my heart is still down there though :)
oh I drive a 7 seater vw and parking can be a killer so I don't drive out of my comfort zone!
corrie:)
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