gil
26th November 2007, 02:08 PM
This weekend was lovely, the weather was warm, we took the kayak out, walked along honeysuckle-scented paths, barbied, hot tubbed, enjoyed some fabulous local Sauvignon Blanc and had the opportunity to show off the beautiful area we live in to my dad and his partner, our first long(ish) stay visitors. Looking out of the window now, it looks a bit like paradise: cloudless blue sky, beautiful blue sea dotted with sail boats and sunshine streaming down. You can probably tell that I love it here!
We are all really glad we have made the move. I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to say that, but I can now. Our teenagers gave us such grief about not wanting to come, about how we were ruining their lives, ripping them away from their friends and so on, for a good year whilst we waited to sell our house. It’s taken our eldest a solo return to the UK for most of this year to realise that actually, she would prefer to come out here permanently. As she puts it “I needed to do my own thing.” Hard on her and on us, but she’s done it and is now looking to do something more career focused over here.
Our sixteen year old found school a hard place to settle into at first, and now concedes that in the first six months, she could have made more of an effort to make friends and get involved. She now has some lovely friends and has just finished her IGCSEs; in fact she’s just walked back in from a girlie shopping trip to Newmarket, glowing with fun and energy. And she has done things she would never have done in Cardiff: surf safety, high ropes, not wearing make up to school…..:exit
The younger two have settled in fine, as their ability to lapse into kiwi accents with their mates demonstrates. They go to the beach after school and have freedom here that we just couldn’t allow where we were in Cardiff.
Steve plays five-a-side twice a week now and Saturday footie in the season. I have a lovely circle of girlfriends, regular book club (or wine club with a book problem, as one of my friends’ husband puts it :D) and girlie support galore. It was grand to go to the Howick Santa Parade on Saturday and bump into loads of people we know!
On the work front, things are very good for both of us, with prospects and options should we feel the need to extend ourselves a bit. For now, I am happy doing work I love (yes, really!) and meet so many interesting people on a daily basis. (I’m an Organisational Development consultant). Steve has changed career and moved into finance, something he has long fancied doing, but the pressure of making a living in UK meant he was unlikely to make that change. He bought and took possession of a Vespa this weekend, as did our 16 year old! Neither of them fancied it in the climate of Cardiff, but here it’s a reality for them.
(BTW, I am not dissing the UK or Cardiff: it’s a beautiful city where we had a lovely home and friends and a happy, if pressured life.)
So, we have made a happy new life in a dream house by the sea and are enjoying everything so much more, as we now have the time to do that. Not much more to say, except thank you to all the forumites who helped us along the journey here.
Gil
xx
We are all really glad we have made the move. I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to say that, but I can now. Our teenagers gave us such grief about not wanting to come, about how we were ruining their lives, ripping them away from their friends and so on, for a good year whilst we waited to sell our house. It’s taken our eldest a solo return to the UK for most of this year to realise that actually, she would prefer to come out here permanently. As she puts it “I needed to do my own thing.” Hard on her and on us, but she’s done it and is now looking to do something more career focused over here.
Our sixteen year old found school a hard place to settle into at first, and now concedes that in the first six months, she could have made more of an effort to make friends and get involved. She now has some lovely friends and has just finished her IGCSEs; in fact she’s just walked back in from a girlie shopping trip to Newmarket, glowing with fun and energy. And she has done things she would never have done in Cardiff: surf safety, high ropes, not wearing make up to school…..:exit
The younger two have settled in fine, as their ability to lapse into kiwi accents with their mates demonstrates. They go to the beach after school and have freedom here that we just couldn’t allow where we were in Cardiff.
Steve plays five-a-side twice a week now and Saturday footie in the season. I have a lovely circle of girlfriends, regular book club (or wine club with a book problem, as one of my friends’ husband puts it :D) and girlie support galore. It was grand to go to the Howick Santa Parade on Saturday and bump into loads of people we know!
On the work front, things are very good for both of us, with prospects and options should we feel the need to extend ourselves a bit. For now, I am happy doing work I love (yes, really!) and meet so many interesting people on a daily basis. (I’m an Organisational Development consultant). Steve has changed career and moved into finance, something he has long fancied doing, but the pressure of making a living in UK meant he was unlikely to make that change. He bought and took possession of a Vespa this weekend, as did our 16 year old! Neither of them fancied it in the climate of Cardiff, but here it’s a reality for them.
(BTW, I am not dissing the UK or Cardiff: it’s a beautiful city where we had a lovely home and friends and a happy, if pressured life.)
So, we have made a happy new life in a dream house by the sea and are enjoying everything so much more, as we now have the time to do that. Not much more to say, except thank you to all the forumites who helped us along the journey here.
Gil
xx