I'm expecting a baby and DH and I have discussed that at some point in the next 3 years we will need to move to upsize from our small flat in London. This has obviously prompted me to think about our lives, where we will live in the future etc etc. (I caveat this whole post by acknowledging how lucky we are to own our own home and have these choices). I've never been one of those people with a really clear idea of, say, a dream home, or dream location etc, and neither has DH, but we both enjoy living in the city at present, as long as we can still have the luxury of getting out to the country from time to time and travelling with the DC which we love doing. Aside from that no major pull to any specific area as we don't have close families. Obviously for the next move we will be considering schools in the decision-making process.
I've been looking on here at the property forums and see a lot of MN users saying how important it is to move to the right area when child is young so that they make roots with primary school friends who they carry through till secondary etc. I hear a lot about DC needing stability / friendships etc, which I completely get. But this makes me think that quite soon, we would need to choose an area where we intend to stay for perhaps the next 20 years... and I don't know if I feel ready or able to do that! To me that feels quite scary and 'middle aged' even though I probably AM middle aged - iyswim! One thing which is always a possibility with DH's work is moving to another country and we've always thought we could potentially do this one day, but maybe not. I have also thought about moving out of London one day to another city like Bristol or even Edinburgh to get more from our budget. But I don't have any clear ideas at all and it would very much depend on our work. We don't know if we will still be in / or enjoying our careers by then. DH job is very much tied to the city and mine wouldn't exist outside London, though I have transferable skills. The only thing that DH and I agree on is that we don't want to live in a surburban area anytime soon.
I read a lot of MN forums about house moves etc and sometimes get the impression that all MN users live in lovely cul de sacs in leafy suburban areas and that their futures look pretty sorted. But I know this can't be the case! I feel as if our lack of a really clear vision on our future is not the done thing! I would like to hear from any parents on here who have raised their DC in an alternative way to this - e.g. perhaps travelling, or being a bit more nomadic, not having long term plans, or even moving area more than once when the child is under 11! Has anyone done this and feels is was actually a good thing / successful for their DC? I would find it really helpful to hear about any alternative upbringings other than living in the same area through primary and secondary, and how you have made this work for your family?