You take the good...
So I know it sounds as if I'm down on Australia a lot of the time, but to be honest I think a lot of it could really just be a bit of a 1/3rd-life crisis or something. The truth is that the opportunities and lifestyle we have here in Melbourne are better than anything we'd had in Canada or New Zealand. The main example really is that both Phil and I have comparatively stable employment for the first time in 5 years.
Anyone keeping up would remember that we went through a good 2-3 years of Phil not being able to do much in terms of work due to the rather limited nature of his scientific background. Basically he needs to be somewhere that there is enough Research & Development happening to allow a company to need his skills. The smaller nature of NZ really got in the way, even somewhere the size of Auckland.
As well, we've started to make some good friends here and find ourselves more often than not rather busy socially (even if it means we never seem to get the back yard patio finished).
So yes, there are the frustrations that come with living in a bigger city (and that we live in a less than central location) but that overall our move over to Australia has been a good decision. It's just that it's not a place we want to stay forever. But then nothing *is* forever.
Anyone keeping up would remember that we went through a good 2-3 years of Phil not being able to do much in terms of work due to the rather limited nature of his scientific background. Basically he needs to be somewhere that there is enough Research & Development happening to allow a company to need his skills. The smaller nature of NZ really got in the way, even somewhere the size of Auckland.
As well, we've started to make some good friends here and find ourselves more often than not rather busy socially (even if it means we never seem to get the back yard patio finished).
So yes, there are the frustrations that come with living in a bigger city (and that we live in a less than central location) but that overall our move over to Australia has been a good decision. It's just that it's not a place we want to stay forever. But then nothing *is* forever.