...it's where the heart is, apparently
Louise and I may be moving down to Somerville next year. I still have very mixed feelings about it, but the benefits currently outweigh the drawbacks.
Distance is going to be an issue. I've spent ten years living in walking distance of just about everything, so it will be a bit of a shock to move an hour or two down the penninsula. Things like Tai Chi won't be possible, at least through Zi Ran Men. If I took a bus/train/tram in to the morning classes I'd need to leave home at 5:30 each morning... Working from home shouldn't be affected, though quick meetings to discuss things with clients would be replaced by a whole lot more phonecalls.
Being miles away from friends is another big one - probably the biggest, in fact. Though with a handful of exceptions I doubt I've seen many of you more than 2-3 times this year. It's been busy, and nobody ever seems to be free on weekends these days. Living in the city gives no real guarantee that I'll catch up with people, though it's comforting to think that I probably could if I really needed to.
Living in Somerville means being close to family though, and that's important. Even if we stayed in North Melbourne I'd want to spend as much time as possible with Mum. From a purely practical point of view, there's too much work for one person to do on the property. It's not a huge place, but all three acres are covered in garden and a lot of it produces fruit or vegetables that need to be picked regularly. It's also a big house, and needs people to help fill it.
aeliel and I would still be driving up to the city to see people whenever we can - probably on weekends, and Wednesday nights.There's about eight years of tradition going in the Wednesday night games, and it's a habit I'd rather not break :)
We'd also be able to save some money at last. I love the area I'm living in at the moment, but we're slowly being squeezed out of the rental market. Four years into our lease, we've had our rent go up by $45/week since January. Buying a place around here is impossible at the moment, but should be more possible if we can spend a year or two putting money away.
There's still lots to think about, though the end of the year is rushing up quickly. Louise leaves for France next week, and the wedding will be a few weeks after she gets back to Melbourne. With so many things happening over the next few months I suspect that December will be along before I've had a chance to notice Spring.
Distance is going to be an issue. I've spent ten years living in walking distance of just about everything, so it will be a bit of a shock to move an hour or two down the penninsula. Things like Tai Chi won't be possible, at least through Zi Ran Men. If I took a bus/train/tram in to the morning classes I'd need to leave home at 5:30 each morning... Working from home shouldn't be affected, though quick meetings to discuss things with clients would be replaced by a whole lot more phonecalls.
Being miles away from friends is another big one - probably the biggest, in fact. Though with a handful of exceptions I doubt I've seen many of you more than 2-3 times this year. It's been busy, and nobody ever seems to be free on weekends these days. Living in the city gives no real guarantee that I'll catch up with people, though it's comforting to think that I probably could if I really needed to.
Living in Somerville means being close to family though, and that's important. Even if we stayed in North Melbourne I'd want to spend as much time as possible with Mum. From a purely practical point of view, there's too much work for one person to do on the property. It's not a huge place, but all three acres are covered in garden and a lot of it produces fruit or vegetables that need to be picked regularly. It's also a big house, and needs people to help fill it.
aeliel and I would still be driving up to the city to see people whenever we can - probably on weekends, and Wednesday nights.There's about eight years of tradition going in the Wednesday night games, and it's a habit I'd rather not break :)
We'd also be able to save some money at last. I love the area I'm living in at the moment, but we're slowly being squeezed out of the rental market. Four years into our lease, we've had our rent go up by $45/week since January. Buying a place around here is impossible at the moment, but should be more possible if we can spend a year or two putting money away.
There's still lots to think about, though the end of the year is rushing up quickly. Louise leaves for France next week, and the wedding will be a few weeks after she gets back to Melbourne. With so many things happening over the next few months I suspect that December will be along before I've had a chance to notice Spring.