As a country-town raised city dweller, I always imagined that I'd return to country living once I had children. I couldn't even imagine how I'd go about raising kids in the concrete jungle. What would we do all day?
Oh god, surely not that...
Then I mummed 2 under 2 in the inner-city of Sydney and loved it. Walking out the front door with Maxi Taxi and Cappers rugged up, the 'big rig' pram whizzing in front, off to the library, or one of 34 cafes in reach, or the supermarket, or countless mates' places, or the pool, or 5 parks... you get the idea. I was in babyland heaven. In fact, I was so attached to striding out with the big rig that even my sister's place 3 suburbs over wasn't out of reach. But then the bairns started to grow up and got bored in the pram after approximately 45 seconds. And frequenting the 34 cafe's with 2 toddlers running riot became more chore than treat. And I really wanted my own park, not a shared park I had to leave the house to get to. So once number 3 (The Badoo) was expected, we knew it was time to move to a bigger place with a proper garden.
And then I remembered The Dream. I pictured myself on a cute little acreage in my cute little cottage with my cute little family - growing vegies, raising chickens, exploring creeks, swimming in spring-water fed dams, dreaming idly on my shaded verandah as the odd goat wanders by. There's gingham involved on some level. .
You know, The Dream.
But there was a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. The LOML works in investment banking. And there just isn't a lot of investment banking going on in your average country town. So, unless he wants to become a bank manager (he doesn't) or a financial planner (so doesn't) or a newsagent (a what?) or something... we're City People.
But there was a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. The LOML works in investment banking. And there just isn't a lot of investment banking going on in your average country town. So, unless he wants to become a bank manager (he doesn't) or a financial planner (so doesn't) or a newsagent (a what?) or something... we're City People.
Now, don't weep for me yet, I've tried to recreate the life I crave. We searched and searched and finally bought a place that's surrounded on 3 sides by bush, overlooks a beautiful national park valley and we can't really see our only neighbour. So, I've got the verandah, the large garden, a (non-spring-fed) saltwater pool, and a (usually dry) creek across the road. And there's a (kind of) 'town' (as opposed to trendy 'village') feel to the suburb we're in. We have a showground. We have a pony club. We have 3 competing primary schools (with the essential 'don't go there unless you live right next door and even then reconsider' school to discuss at the 'better' schools' morning teas) (more on this in a later post!). It certainly feels very country-in-the-city. It's 25 mins by train to work. Happy with that.
But you know what, it's kinda hard fitting in The Dream around commuting 4 days a week to a large corporate in the city and growing 3 kids who are aged 5 and under at time of writing. Really hard. But I'm going to keep trying.
Next stop... the chickens.
[Top image by Dottie Angel; other images found via weheartit]
[Top image by Dottie Angel; other images found via weheartit]
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I rewound this post at the Fibro on 5.2.2011