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Why Do You Live Where You Live?

31 replies

EvilHerbivore · 26/06/2023 10:16

Just thinking about how different my life might have been if I'd have continued my original plan of

go the uni I went to as it was the best in the country for the course
move to big city back close to where I grew up after graduating as most of my friends from home were there and it was an area I knew

Instead I got involved in a project in my last year of uni that I wanted to spend a bit more time on after graduating and whilst dithering about plans, met the person who I then spent 10 years and had 2 kids with

Now can't move as kids in school and kids dad is here and he sees them regularly, wouldn't want to change that but still in the university city I moved to for "only 3 years" 17 years later!

So why do you live where you do? Was it your first choice always?

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pontipinemum · 26/06/2023 10:25

On a farm, only for DH there is no chance I would be living where I am. It's a few hours from my hometown and there is very little going on. It is beautiful though and I think DC will be happy growing up here.

I always had dreams of living by the sea and tell DH regularly I will retire to the Mediterranean. 😁

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DustyLee123 · 26/06/2023 10:34

I always assumed I’d move back to my hometown to have kids, after moving away for Uni and the job I got. Unfortunately DM died before I had kids, so I didn’t have the same desire to move back.
I sometimes think I’d like to move back to my hometown, but what for ? The people I grew up with are dead or moved on. It’s just the good childhood memories I have, but you can’t go back.
Now I live in a village that’s lovely for walks and bike rides, not too far from plenty of shopping choices and a motorway. I like the village I live in, and I love my house. I feel very lucky.

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Dontknowwhyidoit · 26/06/2023 10:40

Pontipinemum, are you me. My husband has agreed to move by the sea when we retire if we win the lottery. Shows his commitment, when there is next to zero chance of winning lottery considering we very rarely play plus farmers never retire 🤣😭. I am originally from an inner city area and have lived by the sea after school and now live very rural. I never gave much thought into where I would live when I was younger and have moved around in relation to the circumstances at the time.

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CrunchyCarrot · 26/06/2023 10:44

Semi-rurally. It's a beautiful location, great for the cat(s) and far from the madding crowd. I've lived in a lot of places, am happy where I am now. Only trouble is, I am now disabled and cannot even walk down to the main road because it's hilly! I couldn't even entertain the thought of moving, far too exhausting, so I will hopefully live out my final years here.

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LadyVictoriaSponge · 26/06/2023 10:47

Moved with my husband’s job years ago, he now has a thriving business so we can’t move until he retires which I find really frustrating as it makes me feel trapped in a place I haven’t chosen to live, I live in a beautiful part of the country, many people retire where I live but after all these years I’m utterly bored of the same place I need a new adventure and the thought of another 15 years is not appealing, we might even die here without having lived anywhere else, the thought of that really freaks me out.

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NosnowontheScottishhills · 26/06/2023 10:49

I live in very rural Scotland, my DC went to uni in Scotland, I had never been here before that and had little interest in visiting Scotland. I fell in love with it instantly and ended up moving here I’ve never been happier. I often think if they’d chosen a uni in England where would be now?

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stayathomer · 26/06/2023 10:50

Quite rural here and pretty much because we couldn’t afford anywhere else! Couldn’t live near my mum as she’s Dublin so we live close to dh’s family but further out as couldn’t afford there either! Bought a very run down house that was going cheap and we’re so lucky!!

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pontipinemum · 26/06/2023 10:51

Dontknowwhyidoit · 26/06/2023 10:40

Pontipinemum, are you me. My husband has agreed to move by the sea when we retire if we win the lottery. Shows his commitment, when there is next to zero chance of winning lottery considering we very rarely play plus farmers never retire 🤣😭. I am originally from an inner city area and have lived by the sea after school and now live very rural. I never gave much thought into where I would live when I was younger and have moved around in relation to the circumstances at the time.

Lets leave our husbands behind and retire together 😂

From what I can see, no they never retire. That's why I say I am retiring to the med. I've told him he can visit me a few times a year and I'll come home a few times a year to refill the freezer

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Apricotflanday · 26/06/2023 10:52

Always lived in the same area; was allocated this flat (housing association); never been wealthy enough to move, though always dreamed of living in the countryside.

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BridportSpectacular · 26/06/2023 10:53

Moved to an Island for 2 years - that was 27 years ago now. I think I'm only just realising I'm probably a lifer now.

Met DH - he'd recently moved back as it was his home and him and his then wife thought having childcare would help.

So his kids, ex wife, family are all here. My family are scattered so I've nowhere I'd naturally be otherwise.

I like it, I have a very good job, I like being 5 minutes from a beach - can be out walking after work in amazing hills or coast paths.

It's hard in winter.

There's stuff going on...but just come back from a weekend in London and I'm torn still as that's always what I thought I'd do. LIve in the big city.

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Rolloisthebestpony · 26/06/2023 10:55

It’s where DH is from. Beneficial as in-laws are helpful helping with DC. Had some drawbacks though.

I love the area though as it’s perfect for our interests (outdoorsy stuff)

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MarchingOnTogether · 26/06/2023 10:56

I was born and brought up in a big city but in my early teens my parents moved us an hour away to a small market town.
I didn't like it at first and dreamt of going back to the city.
But once I had grown up a bit I could see why my parents wanted this life. It feels much safer than the city and life had a slower pace. We also have some really good schools around. My children were lucky enough to go to a very good primary and are now in one of the best secondary schools in the county! And the city I grew up in is literally an hours drive so we do visit sometimes.

My OH could have had a very different life. He was brought up in a different country, he moved to the UK 8 years ago to spend a some time with his brother who lives here, he only intended to stay a few months. But he met me and now we have a house together, he has a career here and he has no desire to move back! His mum even lives here now!

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whirlyhead · 26/06/2023 10:57

Moved to where my husband came from after marrying him - 20 years ago. I've never taken to it (too many rich entitled people), and always wanted to move closer to the sea. Fortunately he now wants to be near the sea too, so we are now selling up and moving to Europe!

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AdoraBell · 26/06/2023 11:01

We moved back from overseas. Couldn’t afford to buy where we wanted, needed decent schools for teens.

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IHeartGeneHunt · 26/06/2023 11:06

Council estate in the North East. I got the flat when I came out of a women's refuge.

I wouldn't have chosen to be here but I love it now. My neighbours are great, it's quiet, it's clean, I'm literally a minute from a beautiful park and my allotment.
I was in London before and I miss it, but I can't afford to go back and I do like it here.

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Dontknowwhyidoit · 26/06/2023 11:06

Pontipinemum, sounds like plan 😊, I will be in touch in twenty years to see where we are going ⛱️

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FarTooHotForMe · 26/06/2023 11:10

I moved to where I live 25 years ago for the fast trains to London, lots to do, good schools and near nice countryside and the coast.
I’ll probably stay another five years and then maybe move to the coast. I will miss my friends though as this area has been fantastic for making friends.

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beguilingeyes · 26/06/2023 11:12

I live in London. It's where I always wanted to be. I grew up in rural Somerset, near Bath and moved to London at 21. Lucky enough to buy a house in the 80s when it was still affordable.
I love it. We're in Zone 3 and I never want to leave.

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frozendaisy · 26/06/2023 11:20

Jobs schools

Planning to move once both are irrelevant

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areyouhavinglaugh · 26/06/2023 11:20

Lived in London all my life, after I had children I moved out and have lived here for 12 years.. I will move when I retire to the sea 😀

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SnowFir · 26/06/2023 11:20

We chose here as we both could get to work from here, had family friends who'd moved here and could get more for our money than where we moved from. Now widowed. Will stay here for the time being as dd2 still in school, I've got friends here and it's convenient for if the dc want to work in London after they graduate. I'd move out if that didn't apply in future. I'd probably move to a flat somewhere cheaper

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GCSister · 26/06/2023 11:24

Pretty much just put a pin in a map!
We had a relatively broad geographical area we were looking at but that was made up of lots of villages so we picked randomly and had a look what houses were available.
We knew we'd found the place we wanted to move to as soon as we parked up ..... still here 10 years later.

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OldTinHat · 26/06/2023 11:26

When my DC left home, I put the house up for sale and moved asap to get away from the town I'd lived in for 30 years to escape a situation.

I moved to the nearest place that I could afford to have a 3 bed house (downsized) with no mortgage. That's taken me 2 and a half hrs away from my elderly parents.

This is not the place I had planned to downsize to, never even featured, but I've come to love it.

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Beezknees · 26/06/2023 12:13

Because it was where I got offered a council flat.

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EvilHerbivore · 26/06/2023 19:04

IHeartGeneHunt · 26/06/2023 11:06

Council estate in the North East. I got the flat when I came out of a women's refuge.

I wouldn't have chosen to be here but I love it now. My neighbours are great, it's quiet, it's clean, I'm literally a minute from a beautiful park and my allotment.
I was in London before and I miss it, but I can't afford to go back and I do like it here.

I work in DV, I love hearing stories of people living well after refuge

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