With only a few days left until our move I have been reflecting on all the good things I love about living in the mountains. Even though I have lived my whole life here, I know that I am privileged to have lived in such a beautiful part of Australia, which has the best of both the city and the country.
So here is my list of things I will miss when we leave the mountains:
Going To The Shops And Knowing Half The People
Everywhere we go we run into friends and acquaintances. If I don’t know some one personally, they may introduce themselves as a friend of my sister/mother, or someone who baby sat me etc. There are people from various activities I did as a child, friends of friends, people I went to school with. Often when I visit my parents, one of them will say “I saw so and so the other day… did you know that…”. Suffice to say that the community is big enough to accommodate lots of activities etc, but small enough to know lots of people. After 35 years, there are a lot of people I know!
Knowing All The Local Characters.
We have “super walking man” who walks for 3 hours every morning, and by whom you can set your clock to. There is the guy who has strapped a giant stereo system to his mobility scooter, and drives along the foot path twice every Sunday, playing hymns at high volume. We know which houses have the amazing Christmas lights each year, and which houses have the scary dogs.
Garage Sales
The mountains have the most awesome garage sales. Lots of quality books, toys, kids clothes, antiques, and craft stuff. My girls each have several brand name dresses that would have cost $60-$80 new, and I got them for $5 each! There is no way I would buy a white dress for $80, but $5 is no problem. Not sure how I will dress my kids once we move!
Great Schools
Our area has a fabulous little primary school. It is small enough that the principal know every kid, but large enough to provide opportunities like dance group, and band tuition. The teachers are all fantastic, and the school is very much at the center of the community.
Convenience
The mountains may not be the city, but it is easy to get almost anything you need within a 15 minute drive. We have a 24 hour service station for late night milk runs. There are several large shopping centers not too far away, but there is not much traffic. It really is the best of both worlds. It will be an hour round trip for milk once we get to the farm!
Good Friends Who I Have Known For Ever
Many of our friends I have known since I was a kid. They know all my “back story”. They know my faults but are gracious enough to overlook them and be my friend anyway.
Supportive Family Close By
My parents and one of my sisters live near by. Our kids spend a lot of time together, and my parents are very involved in all their grand kids lives. They are always willing to mind the kids if we need to do something or if we just need some time off.
After reading through my list, I am not really sure that I want to move at all. I am going from all that is comfortable and known, to the unknown. In my first ever post, I talked about how our tree change would be a bit of an experiment… but I am starting to think that it will be a much bigger experiment than I imagined… stay tuned to see how it goes.
Hey there – great list! It won't be long before you are settled in down on the farm and start to belong there too- but the in-between bit is always a bit unsettling, isn't it!
Thinking of you!
Thanks for all the comments and support. I know that once I get there and start it will be fine. The unknown is always a bit hard!
I can understand the way you're swinging between emotions. I felt a little of what you must be feeling on a much greater scale, just from reading your post. So many exciting adventures lay ahead, yet… there's the sadness and hesitation of greeting the unknown.
It'll be such a great experience for you though. Best of luck!
It's always hard to move. You say goodbye to what you know. However, a new are can also be very exciting! So much to discover.
Oh Jo! It's going to be so sad but you will all grow so much. And like you have said, it's an experiment and nothing is permanent – if it's REALLY terrible, and you miss your family you can always go back. The Blue Mountains are beautiful, though. I'm not surprised you are sad to be leaving.
Wow, at the start of the post I was thinking, embrace the move it will be okay and then at the end, like Jess i felt sad. I am sure that you are fluctuating between the two as well. I am sure that you will find many of those things in the country, your family will be the hard bit. xx
Ok I feel sad for you now! I hate moving; the whole idea makes me sad,and yet, I would love to leave Darwin which is completely contrary!
I love the mountains though. I think if I lived near them, I would never move.
Sounds like a wonderful place to live but I am sure the country will turn out to have a similar allure. Fairy wishes and butterfly kisses to you
You'll thrive down the country Jo, interested in everything, resourceful! Who knows, you might not even want to come back!!