Making a Move.

By Beccy

I am such a dipstick! When Terri was looking for guests writers I jumped in there and volunteered, then what did I do...I clean forgot!!!

So when I agreed to write this post I thought of what a great adventure Terri and her family were facing and how brave they were. It reminded me of the time I moved from the UK to Ireland. Dillon was 18 months old when we moved and as much as I was excited at the thought of owning our own house I was more than apprehensive about moving away from my family and friends. We spent a lot of time searching for a house. I didn't know Dublin at all but Joules was born and bred there so whatever house that was in our (modest) price range was met with 'I'm not living there' or 'I want to be on the dart (train) line I'm not getting a bus to work each day'. After a year of looking we were beginning to despair. I was wondering if we would ever find a house. Then one day my mother-in-law saw a small newspaper ad for a company which matched people with houses for a very nominal fee (charged to the seller). We rang them and told them our budget and the area we wanted to live in. We couldn't believe it when she gave us a house to look at in the area all the pop stars/musicians/directors/actors etc live in, how could we afford to live there.

The moment we entered the small estate I knew this was a place I could to live in. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the road was full of small children playing in the sunshine and parents chatting. The house was perfect for us and within our price range so we made an offer which the seller accepted, we later found out that others had made offers but she turned them down because she didn't warm to them, luckily for us. So the house was ours.

Two months later we moved in. My dad drove a van over from the UK full of beds, sofas, table, chairs etc etc. I spent a week unpacking boxes then mum and dad drove over with Dillon for a week. Then I was left alone. Alone with Joules and Dillon. And very alone. This was the beginning of the hardest year of my life. Those children and families we'd spotted earlier? They had all gone back to school, nursery and work and the estate was empty, so different from the bustling hive of activity we'd fallen in love with. It was over a month before I spoke to any neighbours. I was unpacking some groceries from the car when a neighbour walked by with two young children. She invited me in for coffee and introduced me to another neighbour with a young child the same age. These neighbours were very kind to me and really supported me throughout that first year and Dillon now had three playmates.

Still I was finding life hard here. Joules had his old friends from school and Dillon had plenty of friends but I still felt like I had no focus besides Dillon. I was very upset a lot of the time and angry at other times. Joules and I would argue a lot about friends, he felt he could not help me, he couldn't go and 'buy me friends' and looking back I think I was depressed. Now I love it here and would never consider moving as the children are well settled, in good schools enjoying a good life (although I would like a bigger house but have you seen the mad price of real estate here)? So what saved me? I joined a tennis club having not really played for eight years. I was out getting fresh air and exercise and meeting people who I had more in common with than having children the same age. I can't express how much I love tennis, playing it for fun, competing in competitions, the social nights... Finally I had found something for me and all was well in our world.

P.S. The reason this post was late...tennis!