Making a change for a better life (with kids) - what, where, how?

[bourbonmadness]

DH especially and I somewhat have always talked about having a change in lifestyle and not living in the Truman show for ever more. We have 2 small children (5, 4) and we are comfortable financially. My husband is well paid and I work part time, more for sanity than for the money (I have a profession). We live significantly below our means. We we want to move for better secondary schools in the next few years and could afford to add £200K+ cash to a property without having a mortgage (lucky I know) and look at regional 'better areas' and ponder. However, we are both like 'is this what we really want?' As my husband said he doesn't know whether he wants to buy into the 'middle class bullshit' iykwim.

My husband has intermitent ideas which range from the Ben Fogle series type - lets give up everything and live in rural France and spend some money we have not working and sustaining to applying for similar jobs as we do now in Aus. We contiplated similar before DC's but various options ended up falling through and it never came off.
I'm up for something and don't aspire to have a perfect identi-kit house full of feature walls, 'our family' type signs and kids kitted out in Joules , but ultimately I am a realist and want the childrens needs to be met in terms of education etc and I'm aware the grass isn't always greener. Has anyone else has similar feelings, experiences that they could share? Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

We moved to the U.S. and so far it has been a very positive experience. We have some friends who are like our family.

But 7 years in I really feel a sense of misdu g my parents who are almost 80 and my brother. Took me 6 years for that feeling to kick in and it is a loss. I sometimes fantasize about being I. UK near my parents but my husband reminds me that we were not as content in London. Our quality of life was rubbish looking back. Husband would have seen less of the kids due to commute.

Our son goes to an amazing school....we bought a home in an excellent school district. Sun always shining. The only time I long for England is when I am sick and I yearn for help with the kids.

But our quality of life us so much higher and I do feel the UK is so cramped and it will be harder to establish life there when our kids grow up.

But him drum of life. You cant escape that.
Check out the forums on mrmoneymustache.com

Lots of people who live a simple life and retire early. That is what we are aiming for now, to be independently wealthy and live modestly, so we can not work. Probably easier to achieve in the usa than the UK we feel.

I'd say, save as much as you can and travel when you are older and the kids have left home. I think people who travel long term, over a month,
with little kids in tow are really selfish. Sorry, just MHO. I grew up in Africa, was educated in the UK and now live in Asia. Ex pat child of ex pats. It's true that the middle class BS follows you everywhere. You can't escape it. Also don't underestimate easy access to healthcare. This is the number one worry I have in my situation. Healthcare insurance covering cancer, stroke etc is very expensive for a family. Your life may seem mundane, trust me, with small kids you want mundane. My DH and I have had a lot of help with our move and it has still been mentally and emotionally extremely tough on us and on our DCs. We thought it would solve all our problems, it hasn't. You say you aren't materialistic but mention how much cash you have. I'm like