We’ve been getting carried along with the excitement of our new plans and ideas over the last few weeks but our enthusiasm has just taken a nose dive and we’ve hit the first tough bit. We’ve been looking into properties to buy, researching schools online, pouring over Google Earth maps of different villages and hamlets in the area, dropping into street view and ‘walking’ round the towns as well as drooling over the stunning photos people have uploaded.
We’ve been watching Youtube videos of boarding, biking and other activities in the area and we’ve been making lists of all the things we want to do and see while we’re over there. As we’ve bounced these plans and ideas off family and friends, it’s stared to hit home that – with any big change like this – it’s always going to be tough and we’ve just hit the first emotional hurdle.
Although we’ve talked about doing this for years with our nearest and dearest, things have moved very quickly from it being one of those things you talk about doing to something that is actually going to happen. The initial response has been “Oh Wow! How exciting. That’ll be an amazing experience”, but as it sinks in, we can feel it beginning to hit home. Even though we won’t actually be that far away, some close family members are starting to struggle with the idea that we won’t just be down the road anymore and that we might like it so much that we won’t come back.
“We’ve dreamed about it for way too long!”
It’s taken the edge off our enthusiasm and made us realise that there’ll be more hurdles ahead but we’ve got to do this, we’ve dreamed about it for way too long!
We’re holding on to our vision of this change being a hugely positive experience for us, our kids and hopefully the rest of our family and friends. We’ve got a clear picture of how we want things to pan out but it’s impossible to convey your full picture or motivation to other people. The fact of the matter is that we’re going to miss being as near to family and friends and they’re going to miss us.
I’m hoping that we’ll actually get to spend more time together doing even more fun things but right now, that’s hard to see. I really hope it works out…
Emotionally, this is all feeling pretty painful right now but I know it’ll get easier and I hope there’ll come a time when we’ll look back and will be pleased we pushed on.
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