Its been two years since we moved from Canada. It feels like at least five because so much has happened while we've been here.
When we started this blog, we thought hey, lets use technology to keep in touch with all the people we're going to miss so dearly. The blog will give them a way to see what we're up to and so when we do get around to chatting we'll have more to discuss than the weather. The blog was also meant to be a source for us to look back on how things evolved after we moved here.
Turns out by the two year mark you learn a few things. One, the only people that actually really care enough to keep in touch regularly are your immediate family and your siblings. Friends quickly get caught up in their own lives and you in yours. Two, you slowly stop blogging because things go from being a new adventure to a routine.
At two years, you still find yourself in moments when you miss home, but its in a different way to before. It is hard to explain, its more like a reminiscent memory rather than a "I need to be back home to feel happy" feeling. At two years you start to question whether moving is still part of an adventure or a long term life style change. The question is a lot harder to ask when you've been living somewhere for two years because you now have routines in place, a new place to call home, a growing set of hand picked friends. You are no longer struggling to find a place to live or trying to figure out administrative things related to being new in a country. You are now doing your second tax return, have lived in the same place for a while, have accumulated random things around your home, are being invited to the same annual party for second or third time. You somewhat know the drill now. You start to take things for granted and slowly forget what it was that you took for granted in your previous country.
When we first moved I was eager to have any friends, there was nothing more frustrating that not being able to call on someone to go grab a beer with after a tough week at work. Now its different, I have options and can be selective about who I want to spend my time with, and when no options exist I'm ok with that. You condition yourself to not get so disappointed when you do not have a friend to call on.
At two years, we've had the opportunity to help others who have recently moved. We're no longer the newbies. You quickly forget how you struggled with so many simple things when you first move. You're now discovering new things much more slowly, you create a sense of adventure by having more depth. By this stage you've done all the surface things (top sites, top restaurants, visited various suburbs, etc.), so now you're looking to try something new within the same area, perhaps uncover a new park, going further out, trying the same dish but in a different restaurant. You also go to your favourites more often, you can afford to visit the same place twice without having to feel like you're missing out on something. You have enough points of comparison to know where to rank something, versus when you're new you have no idea if that meal you just had was great or just average, for you its new and its either lovely or its not, no depth, just good or bad. Depth adds colour; it adds complexity. For example before we moved, we didn't drink much coffee. Now I enjoy one several times a week. But its not just a coffee, its a Soy Chai Latte freshly brewed. We now know where to get a good one, and where they're just average. Coffee is so much better here than UK and Canada thats for sure.
So how do I feel about Australia at this point in time? Well I could delve into pro's and con's or create a list of things that I do or don't like, but I think its a more complicated question than that. I think despite being made redundant and having been thrown against the ropes with no easy outs, Australia has still been kinder and easier for me than it has for my partner. I have fortunately prospered in the face adversity. I recently got promoted to a fairly respectable role within the company. Jaime has also done really well in so many ways, she's now a runner, has switch careers and developed in so many ways. However, I feel as though Australia has always been a temporary play for her and nothing more, difficult situations cause resentment towards the country rather than the situation. I think I'd do the same if our roles were reversed. Part of it is personality driven and part of it is circumstance. Do I think we will retire here, probably not, do we have a few more years left here, maybe, do I want to leave tomorrow, I don't think so. Right now no where else is calling my name and giving us a good reason to move. A move at this stage in our lives will be driven less by a sense of adventure, it will be a strategic play to align with our long term goals (i.e. house, kids, further career enhancements, proximity to family). The easy answer is to move back to North America or Europe, but the thought of doing so is both daunting and overwhelming. Its not as exciting when you know exactly what you're signing up for. Here's to hoping the desire to settle down with outweigh the unappealing feeling of 'settling'.
When we started this blog, we thought hey, lets use technology to keep in touch with all the people we're going to miss so dearly. The blog will give them a way to see what we're up to and so when we do get around to chatting we'll have more to discuss than the weather. The blog was also meant to be a source for us to look back on how things evolved after we moved here.
Turns out by the two year mark you learn a few things. One, the only people that actually really care enough to keep in touch regularly are your immediate family and your siblings. Friends quickly get caught up in their own lives and you in yours. Two, you slowly stop blogging because things go from being a new adventure to a routine.
At two years, you still find yourself in moments when you miss home, but its in a different way to before. It is hard to explain, its more like a reminiscent memory rather than a "I need to be back home to feel happy" feeling. At two years you start to question whether moving is still part of an adventure or a long term life style change. The question is a lot harder to ask when you've been living somewhere for two years because you now have routines in place, a new place to call home, a growing set of hand picked friends. You are no longer struggling to find a place to live or trying to figure out administrative things related to being new in a country. You are now doing your second tax return, have lived in the same place for a while, have accumulated random things around your home, are being invited to the same annual party for second or third time. You somewhat know the drill now. You start to take things for granted and slowly forget what it was that you took for granted in your previous country.
When we first moved I was eager to have any friends, there was nothing more frustrating that not being able to call on someone to go grab a beer with after a tough week at work. Now its different, I have options and can be selective about who I want to spend my time with, and when no options exist I'm ok with that. You condition yourself to not get so disappointed when you do not have a friend to call on.
At two years, we've had the opportunity to help others who have recently moved. We're no longer the newbies. You quickly forget how you struggled with so many simple things when you first move. You're now discovering new things much more slowly, you create a sense of adventure by having more depth. By this stage you've done all the surface things (top sites, top restaurants, visited various suburbs, etc.), so now you're looking to try something new within the same area, perhaps uncover a new park, going further out, trying the same dish but in a different restaurant. You also go to your favourites more often, you can afford to visit the same place twice without having to feel like you're missing out on something. You have enough points of comparison to know where to rank something, versus when you're new you have no idea if that meal you just had was great or just average, for you its new and its either lovely or its not, no depth, just good or bad. Depth adds colour; it adds complexity. For example before we moved, we didn't drink much coffee. Now I enjoy one several times a week. But its not just a coffee, its a Soy Chai Latte freshly brewed. We now know where to get a good one, and where they're just average. Coffee is so much better here than UK and Canada thats for sure.
So how do I feel about Australia at this point in time? Well I could delve into pro's and con's or create a list of things that I do or don't like, but I think its a more complicated question than that. I think despite being made redundant and having been thrown against the ropes with no easy outs, Australia has still been kinder and easier for me than it has for my partner. I have fortunately prospered in the face adversity. I recently got promoted to a fairly respectable role within the company. Jaime has also done really well in so many ways, she's now a runner, has switch careers and developed in so many ways. However, I feel as though Australia has always been a temporary play for her and nothing more, difficult situations cause resentment towards the country rather than the situation. I think I'd do the same if our roles were reversed. Part of it is personality driven and part of it is circumstance. Do I think we will retire here, probably not, do we have a few more years left here, maybe, do I want to leave tomorrow, I don't think so. Right now no where else is calling my name and giving us a good reason to move. A move at this stage in our lives will be driven less by a sense of adventure, it will be a strategic play to align with our long term goals (i.e. house, kids, further career enhancements, proximity to family). The easy answer is to move back to North America or Europe, but the thought of doing so is both daunting and overwhelming. Its not as exciting when you know exactly what you're signing up for. Here's to hoping the desire to settle down with outweigh the unappealing feeling of 'settling'.
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| The evening of our 2 year anniversary in Sydney. McMahons Point. |
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