Would you ever make a big move if it meant a better work/life balance? If so, where would you move?
I watch House Hunters International and people are always saying they are leaving behind a chaotic life for a better work life balance.
Would you ever make a big move if it meant a better work/life balance? If so, where would you move?
I watch House Hunters International and people are always saying they are leaving behind a chaotic life for a better work life balance.
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
I think island living would be much more relaxing bUt I would worry about LOs education.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
Yes, but I'm not sure what it would take. I moved cities to be with DH (then boyfriend) and I think our quality of life and balance is better here than it would have been in my old city. We are pretty much planning to stay where we are but would move for the right opportunity, whatever that is.
coconut / 8234 posts
@littlek: I love House Hunters International. When the people move and aren't students, teachers/professors, or have a work transfer, I always wonder how they did it.
It's a dream of ours to live internationally but I don't think we ever will, especially since LO is the only grandchild.
grapefruit / 4311 posts
I totally would! we are planning to move cross-country in 1-2 years, which is a big move for us.
nectarine / 2936 posts
I don't really understand the people on house hunters international that don't already have a job lined up and aren't retired. Some of them don't appear to be doing anything. If I could somehow afford to move to an awesome place, not have to work, and hang out by my pool all day then I'd have a great work/life balance.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
No cause I would hate to be that far away from family.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
Definitely! actually the plan is to move eventually once I'm done with school. The hardest part is coordinating both DH's and MY career. I really, really dislike living in MN SO MUCH. I cannot stand the long winters, bitter cold and driving conditions. I only moved back here for family, and though I would desperately miss them, both DH and I don't desire to live here forever.
We're entertained Philly as an option. My family is thinking of moving to TN and though that wouldn't be my first choice, we would strongly consider it if they make the move.
blogger / honeydew / 7081 posts
I might consider it, if it was really going to make a difference.
But it would have to be a BIG difference, because all of our family is here.
clementine / 990 posts
I would definitely consider it. Not permanently, because we've got a pretty good gig here and now, but temporarily, I would consider it. Home is home though, and our entire immediate families are here, so it would be a big deal.
grapefruit / 4089 posts
No, I really don't think so. Not unless it was going to be absolutely life changing - I wouldn't want to live any farther from my family than I already do, and I'm only an hour drive!
pomegranate / 3401 posts
We would! It would have to be an amazing opportunity but we would totally pick up and move. We love living in SoCal (all of our family is here) but they would want us to go seek the better opportunity too! And there is always Skype, Facetime, plane, trains, automobiles....
But this is just me talking. I'm a lot more adventurous than DH. And I make friends more easily than him.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@redsmarties: same. it would have to be HUGE for us to consider moving away from family. As much as they can drive us up the wall, we are both family people.
grapefruit / 4997 posts
House Hunters International is so addicting! I wouldn't want to be that far away from family but I would love to travel the world for vacation only.
coconut / 8498 posts
Yes, but I don't think we would move overseas. We've not lived closed to family since graduating college. We know that moving closer would greatly reduce stress, both from being near them and being in an area with a lower CoL.
pomegranate / 3768 posts
If you asked me a year ago I would say yes. But now after seeing how much my parents are loving on DD, I can't imagine being far away from them!
grapefruit / 4819 posts
Yep, we're in the process of it now! We've been living in Australia where DH makes an absolutely ludicrous amount of money, but the work life balance sucks (he works approx 80 hrs per week including travel time, six days per week) and we hate where his current project is based. We're tired of living so far from family and moving every year or so when his project finishes and a new one starts, so we're throwing in the towel and moving to the UK in a couple of months.
We will be making about 1/3 the salary but we'll be able to buy a house as we won't be moving every year, and we'll be living in a highly desirable part of the world with lots of culture, natural beauty, and easy access to the rest of the world. And we'll have DH's family nearby and my family a much closer plane journey away in the States. We thought about heading to America but the UK is much more in line with what we want.
It is daunting as all hell right now, going through the immigration process, organising the shipping of our belongings from Australia and the US, selling off everything we don't need, organising bank credit and setting up new accounts overseas, house hunting for a rental for the first few months, organising flights, etc. DH is job hunting for a position over there and whilst he has received loads of interest, he probably won't get an offer until we get over there, which is a bit scary with a toddler and a newborn to think about...
Basically, it's a whole big load of scary, daunting tasks to get through but we're committed to making this change in order to have the life we want and a better work life balance. We're super excited but I can't wait for us to be settled. Our big goal is to have bought a house and have moved in by Christmas. DH is turning in his four weeks notice at his current job next week and then the wheels are officially in motion!
P.s. This will be the fourth time I have moved internationally in the past ten years. I love travelling and am thrilled I've been able to see the world, but I can't wait to settle down!
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
I did and would do it again. We moved to a laid back hippie town for a year and it's been wonderful. Moving back easy this summer but to a less stressful environment.
grapefruit / 4120 posts
I did it almost seven years ago and I'd do it over again in a heartbeat
pomelo / 5257 posts
I don't know if this counts as "big" (not international) but it was big for us -- we moved from NYC to Texas about six months ago. If you told me a year ago I would be living in Texas now I would have laughed in your face, yet here we are! Through a pretty random set of circumstances my husband ended up being offered his dream job. We drove from NYC to Texas two weeks after the offer. I'd never even been to Texas before! Pretty crazy but I'm happy we did it. It's nice to start fresh and get to know a very different place. If we had kids already we may not have done it though.
pomegranate / 3983 posts
Yes we definitely would. Our next few moves are pretty much out of our hands, but when the time comes, lifestyle will definitely be a consideration on where we settle down.
grapefruit / 4582 posts
Yup! In 4 months we are moving from San Francisco to NYC because DH got a job offer we couldn't refuse and we know it's best for our family in the long run! I'm excited!!
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
It would be difficult for us to be far from family. Plus I think we can always achieve better work life balance where we are!
cantaloupe / 6687 posts
@luckypenny: I am so jealous! I fell in love with NY when we visited in January. We spent half the day in Central Park on Saturday and there were so many families out and about with their strollers and scooters.
apricot / 360 posts
We want too sooo badly. But it's tough to think of moving from all of out family now that LO is here. We regret not making the leap 18 months ago!
Our dream is to leave Southern California for either washington, Oregon, or most likely Colorado.
I think it would be great for us in the long term because we both are fed up with the crowds, pollution, and expense of Los Angeles. Mostly I want clean crisp air and outdoor activities for our little family of three. It's scary to really jump in and go....
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
DH and I have definitely considered it. We would love to move to Chiang Mai, Thailand! He even went as far as crunching numbers, and determined that we could easily live there comfortably for about $2k a month.
I actually think it would be so neat for our children to go to an International school. I think their education is top notch, and they'd be going to school with children from all nationalities... I'd love to expose them to that kind of diversity!
nectarine / 2466 posts
I'd like to think I could. I'd love to live internationally, but I'd want all my family to come with me
honeydew / 7589 posts
Of course! We're doing it next year (would do it tomorrow but it's out of our control), and we'll probably do it again in 6-12 years. I have roots everywhere, and I like it that way.
grapefruit / 4582 posts
@sandy: I've literally only spent an afternoon there so I'm excited to explore & get to know a new place!
apricot / 294 posts
We both grew up in NYC and both of our immediate families still live there but we moved to SoCal 17 months ago, taking the only grandchild with us. Our lifestyle is so much better here- we have so much more time as a family. We miss the culture and diversity of NYC but it can be a real grind to live and work there.
pomegranate / 3577 posts
We did! I won't have a great work/life balance regardless, but we figured we'd really enjoy where we live!
@Mrs. Pen: I LOVED Philly!
GOLD / pomelo / 5737 posts
We are doing just that but we are moving toward family and that is a big part of it. It also means a weird schedule and lots of solo parenting for me, but probably more quality time together, and a job that will make me feel more balanced as a person.
Some of the house hunter moves seem crazy though! One of my relatives just told me she knows TWO of the families on there. I was pretty surprised about that!
pineapple / 12566 posts
We did! We moved from NYC to France and then France to Austria for DH's jobs. Our quality of life here is far superior to what we had in the US. But we also both have wanderlust and don't mind being far from our families.
pineapple / 12526 posts
@Mrs. Pen: My brother lives in Philly! I love it there.
We did, although we didn't really have a choice.
apricot / 347 posts
We moved overseas in Jan with an 8week old, with no jobs haha best decision we've ever made (so far). Quality of life is better in the important ways
nectarine / 2973 posts
I couldn't move DD away from our families. Especially my dad who is crazyyy about her. We almost moved out of state about a year before I got pregnant and I'm so glad that it didn't work out.
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