Seachangeitis

Why is the allure of the seachange or treechange so great? Is it a ‘grass is always greener’ thing? Or is there really a better life waiting for us out there?

Yes, the wife and I certainly suffer from seachangeitis from time to time. For as long as I remember, we’ve speculated and dreamt of what it might be like to move up the coast or perhaps down to northern NSW. It’s been the subject of many a conservation and the central point of many a contemplation.

Not helped at all by the holidays we’ve taken over the last few years. Being a little poorer for the son, our holidays have had to be more ‘local’ than others and pretty much all of them have been either up or down the coast with the exception of the odd long weekend in Sydney or Melbourne.

So every time we return from those places, it’s “how good would it be to live there” and “life would be so much easier there”, etc etc. And it takes weeks, sometimes months, of getting back into the grind before those thoughts start to decrease in volume and intensity.

Guess it also comes from the wife having lived at Noosa for a number of years. She was actually living there when I met her but was returning to Bris for work so I can’t claim it was all for me. But she obviously has a bit of a calling back to there as I think life was pretty good for her and a whole lot easier. Maybe it’s my fault then?

Nah seriously, I am wondering though if our particular personality traits lend themselves to seachange thoughts or whether it’s an experience thing.

For instance, up to the age of 13 I moved every couple of years due to my father being in the army. I know during my Uni days as well that I always had a hankering for getting the ell’ out of Bris as soon as I could and moved on a regular basis for the 6 years after from Brisbane to Sydney to UK to US to Sydney to Brisbane.

Regular movings may therefore be ‘in my blood’ and I’m actually going against my natural instincts in having lived in Bris for the last 8 years.

The wife is different though in that she grew up in the same house and didn’t move out until taking off on her own UK and Europe odyssey while at Uni. Besides that stint in Noosa, she’s pretty much lived in Bris her entire life so the experience argument doesn’t quite fly with her.

Anyway, whether it’s a personality thing or an experience thing, the wife and I definitely struggle from time to time with Seachangeitis. Dreaming of what might be and contemplating how we could go about it.

It’s a disease my friends. And I think the only cure will be to actually get off our bums and do something about it. Stop talking and start doing.

Bloody scary though as it is a massive risk. Would we miss our ‘busier’ lives? Would we be lonely away from our friends and family? Would it be a financial disaster? So much to consider and so many unknowns.

Yes, it’s a disease that has quite a hold over us. Whats one to do?

EDM.