DH and I are SO indecisive. We've been mulling this idea over for months now and still haven't got any further so thought I'd ask for other people's experiences.
We currently live 20ish miles from London in an area that on paper has everything we as a family (2 children under 3) could want. We don't have any close family so moving anywhere else wouldn't be a problem, and our jobs don't tie us to a particular location, either.
DH grew up in a much quieter area, surrounded by a lot less 'stuff' and said the simplicity of that upbringing made his childhood in many ways more fulfilling and much slower paced and that definitely appeals to both of us when we think about our lives and the childhoods of our DC.
The area we live in now is mostly affluent, with a very 'keeping up with the jones' mindset. We aren't like that at all and don't really want the children, when they grow up, to feel as if they don't have enough, or that life is about what you possess.
However, the schools are mostly great, the amount of clubs and things to do/places to visit etc are endless.
If we moved away, the pace of life would be much slower, we could afford a bigger house with more land for the children to explore. We'd look to move somewhere with a lot of nature surrounding it and spend our time more intentionally as a family.
It's two completely different lifestyles and we just can't decide. Is there anyone out there who's made the move from the south to somewhere more rural - what was your experience? What was the biggest challenge? Did you ever regret it?