Country or city - Anyone happy in small village? Have to decide today!

[kerala]

We have exchanged on our London house and just pulled out of our proposed purchase in a city in the south west for various good reasons. As we have to move in a few weeks we need to choose between rentals til we find somewhere to buy. Cant decide between:

Lovely old and gorgeously renovated cottage in small village near a lake with a shop, church and pub only. 3 miles from my parents who I get on with very well. 10 miles from sister and friends who live in city. Envisage lovely country summer. I will have a car. I am pretty self sufficient but would a village be too isolating? Also am 11 wks pregnant and with last pregnancy got SPD so may be hobbling about so be good to have parents so close to help with toddler.

Or

Rent in city where I can walk (if am able to walk) to soft play/swimming etc like I do in London. But when I look at the rentals they look so squashed in and longing for open space of the country.

Aaargh need to decide today and have pregnancy brain so liable to make mad decision.

We moved from Leeds to a little Devon village 18 months ago & do love it.

I found it lots harder to readjust than my wife; I did miss friends and simple things like a cinema being 10 minutes away. Living where we do means we have long commutes, so getting back into the car for another 30 minute drive can be hard.

The benefits do outweigh the downsides though. We live in such a beautiful place; we can step out of the door & into lovely quite countryside straight away. There aren't many young people in the village, but there's a wonderful sense of community. We've got a little shop & pub, and, if it doesn't sound too much like a cliche, our postlady really does know our names and stop for a chat when she drops the post off.

It's not perfect by any means; there are days when we wish there was a Tescos round the corner, and now our son's been born I do worry my wife might get lonely. But for now, we think it was the right thing to do.

Hope this helps.