Or home county, but it doesn’t have the same ring to it! Three months ago, my boyfriend and I agreed to checking out properties further South, and potentially eventually moving out of Leeds. It’s something that had been part of our many discussions about what we wanted our future to be, but we couldn’t imagine leaving what had become our home yet. Until an alert I set up on Rightmove – that I absolutely didn’t think would come up any time soon – popped up with a home we really liked!
I’d lived in Leeds for 12 years (and left for uni 16 years ago), with Mikey joining me 3 years ago. We had created a lovely life already, were in a home that we loved, and had some great friends in the city. However, me working from home allowed us to open up our options. We knew we wanted to be closer to family. We also knew we wanted to live by the sea – or maybe that was just me! We needed an extra room, as the two bedrooms we had meant one for the office and constant rearranging for people staying over and no future options for extra space. So when the alert popped up in my home county, for a house with an extra bedroom, plus extra downstairs room, and really close to my family and childhood friends, it seemed like a no brainer!
Moving to Wales
I asked my cousin to check out the property for me (she did an excellent job with pics and videos, btw!), and we loved it! A larger house right by the sea seemed too good to be true. We rent, and didn’t want to pay for two properties at once, so decided we would manage to move within the next 3 weeks. We had to spend a lot of time and money organising the move, hiring a van, and making the last of our Leeds life creating memories with friends. It was a crazy 3 weeks with no evenings or weekends free, especially as we also had lots of plans already, travelling between Leeds and South Wales (6 hour drives!) to get it done, but we did it! We managed to get everything we owned into 1 luton van!
Reality only really hit when telling other people we were leaving. It was a shock to everyone as was not something we had even spoken about openly, and didn’t expect for over a year, if ever, ourselves. I never take my friends or lifestyle for granted, but it was hard to leave, especially on such a high with great memories. In that last few weeks, we went for days out, dinner sand brunches with friends. It was my birthday the week we decided to move too so we also had other big plans booked, such as a trip to Leicester to see Sister Act, an Example gig, dinner and a night out, and Six Nations rugby in Cardiff! Epic few weeks!
Then a second reality had to hit. We had stayed in Wales a few times on visiting holidays over the years, but being fully back felt strange. Our home didn’t feel like a home, it felt like a holiday home. We unpacked and made the best of the rooms but it just didn’t feel real. I kept feeling like I had to leave again soon. It’s taken us a couple of months to really feel at home I think, which is not something I’ve ever really experienced before, and I thought would be much easier here.
Thirdly, and a biggie, one week after moving I was made redundant. We were relying on my job until settled, so this threw us completely. We’re pretty good at not panicking and I know things always work out for the better, but I think it’s contributed to not feeling quite settled yet. (I’m an all-rounder marketer and content writer if anyone is hiring!)
Becoming a Local Again
Moving back has been quite a surreal experience. Everything is the same, but different. The streets I used to wander in are still there, but with different stores. The places I loved to go are the same, but I can’t quite remember everything about them.
Sometimes in Leeds I’d meet someone random and we would somehow have mutual connections. “It’s a small world”, I would say. Well, being back in a small county where I grew up, it’s a very small world. Just this morning I told my Mum I’m going to a workshop this weekend and she knows the person that runs it! Someone knows everyone you meet, everyone is connected in some way. Being part of a community is something I really missed, whereas now I miss being more private.
When visiting on holidays, we would slot into people’s lives, visit them when they were free, and let ourselves be guided by where they wanted to go. Now that we live here, we are having to find our feet as locals. Get to know the little surrounding towns, and where we like to go eat. It’s exciting, but strange to revisit and figure out where I like to be when I haven’t truly been here since my early 20s.
All in all, we’re learning how to create our own life, enjoy our new town, and find our new favourite places. We’ve already explored new places to go, and things to see and do. We’ve loved being closer to family and enjoyed spending a lot of time with them. I’m also apparently picking up the accent again and losing my Northern twang!
It feels like home, but not quite our home…yet. Maybe when working again it will feel less of a holiday! (Although job searching is anything but isn’t it?!) For now it’s just about finding that balance, but I’m feeling good about the move! This post is mostly just a ramble, but it’s just an exciting time in our lives that I wanted to document.