Two

It’s two years ago today that we arrived here to this village, to this house, to this life. It seems like both yesterday, and like forever that we’ve been here, with our life in Sydney just a distant memory.

During these two years I know that I’ve grown up a lot. I’ve gotten on with it and pushed myself to make new friends, make sure the kids are happy, and adjust to being somewhere completely new with no familiar faces around. I’ve looked after the kids by myself, most of the time, with none of the help I used to have in Sydney with Grandma’s just a short drive away. I’ve forged a career, writing from here, making a living for our family while still being at home with Harper, and for Daisy for each and every School drop off and pick up (well most anyway). My marriage to Rob is stronger than ever – we get to see each other more than we ever used to and we haven’t tried to kill each other. Yet. We have such great friends, a better social life than we ever used to have. The kids are happy.

Life is good. Life is simple.

Not one day goes by where I don’t feel incredibly blessed and grateful for the move down here. The sheer beauty of the town and surrounds and not to mention our seriously fabulous house and garden, fills up my soul with goodness and joy and happiness.

There are times when I’m walking back to the house with firewood in my arms, or from watering or weeding the garden down the side, the sound of the gravel underfoot, where I just stop and pinch myself. This is our house. This is our life. I can hardly believe we took the chance, but I am so fucking glad we did.

Comments

  1. Congratulations – we are all glad you made the move too.

  2. I am so happy for you and your family. Go you! Continue being the inspiring person I have come to know through your blog. Enjoy life.
    Vicki
    http://www.shoppegirls.blogspot.com

  3. I think I’ve been following you about the same time … for some reason I thought it was more than two years. Beautiful memories you’ve carved out there in such a short time x

  4. What a beautiful post. I love that this new life has worked out for the best 🙂
    And your house is beautiful and when I grow up I want one just like it (in Melbourne though, I’ve done 21 years of rural living!).

  5. love reading this – a lot to be thankful for and good on you for taking the plunge.

  6. Ps – I put a couple of photos of you on your FB page – one from the MET, you look very pensive. Did you find them?

  7. What an amazing 2 years!! So happy for you all. xx

  8. Lovely post Beverly. You are the Mayor of Tidy Corner! XX

  9. this is so wonderful beth, I couldn’t help but smile while reading. to achieve all the things you and rob set out to do, and in such a short space of time, you should ABSOLUTELY be proud of yourselves x

  10. When your life is relaxed & beautiful, you become that too.

    Xx

  11. I love that you know how great your life is & that you share your joy. I love hearing about people like you that have made big life changes & have made those changes work for you, that you’ve embraced your new lifestyle wholeheartedly.
    It’s a great life Beth & I love reading about it!

  12. Traci Sparkle says

    This is SO inspiring! I love that you love your life so much and it pushes me harder and harder to chase my own change. 2013 better watch out….cause it’s going to be MY year! tx

  13. I can relate…in August 2011 we packed up the only life we ever knew in Chch NZ and boarded a plane to Brisbane. The earthquakes plus my husband getting made redundant from his bank job of 22 years made us do it. So glad we did. We decided to make Port Macquarie our new hometown despite never having heard of it before arriving here. It just felt right. We knew no-one here but have made some great friends (not many, but I’ll choose quality over numbers anyday!) and things are really falling into place with my husband just starting a new position in Port today after commuting to Taree for the past 12 months (he was offered a transfer with the same organisation, still in banking). Cannot believe our luck! LOVE our house, love our town, love the climate, love this life. Miss our friends and family back ‘home’ but we’ll see them at Christmas. I am so glad we had the guts to do this, but still can’t believe we have. Life is too short to wonder what if, isn’t it, and now I never have to wonder ‘what if’ we had moved to Australia when the kids were 7 and 4…because we did!

    xx Karen

  14. You have a truly beautiful life Beth. You & Rob have got it all sussed out and on track.
    LOVE IT!
    Keep enjoying that amazing house in that rockin’ little town.
    x

  15. Congratulations. Well done on being so brave and doing something so important for yourself and your family. I’m not surprised you pinch yourself and are so happy. Well done you!! Jx

  16. P.S – Stunning home!!!! Jx

  17. goose. bumps. that is all.

  18. Caroline Coady says

    We are making the same move too. Leaving Sydney next Thursday for a new life in the Southern Highlands. I love reading your blog and hope that we can settle in as well as you guys have.

  19. I’m so very happy for you and Rob and the girls. I know (‘cos I’ve read your blog for pretty much ever) how brave you were to make the move. It’s always so inspiring when bravery is justly rewarded. Hang on to that gratitude and keep pinching yourself, Beth. Never let yourselves take your delicious bounty for granted. Then breathe it all in with joy. x

  20. Ugh, I love it so hard xx

  21. Good on you for having the courage to take a leap of faith. I’m sure it was scary at first but so great that it paid off …

  22. Fantastic! Its so good to read that you are happy and enjoying life, I love reading about your life through your blog and its nice to stop every now and then to appreciate what we have and what we have accomplished!

    Holli xo

    http://www.twinsplusonemumma.com

  23. Cheers to that.

  24. I remember the move well. I was so excited for you, I still am…

    I want to make the move, so badly. I just can’t seem to pick a place… More rural… More coastal… I can’t decide!

    x

  25. It’s just the best feeling when you find your place in the world. Gorgeous!

  26. Congratulations! Sounds like a wonderful move you made! I’m just grateful everyday for having a roof over my head in general. It’s the little things isn’t it.

  27. That’s a gorgeous post Beth!!!!

  28. I only started to read your blog a couple of months ago and I love it so much. What drew me to it was that we too made the huge tree change 2 years ago. We must have moved about 2 weeks before you did. We too, were worried if it was the right move, what we would do if it didn’t work. But, just like you, WE LOVE IT! The kids are so happy, we have a fantastic house that would have been too big for us to own in the city, we have horses, we have motorbikes, we have lots more time together and we are just happy, just like you!
    Sue N

  29. It must be THAT time of the month for me, because I seriously teared up reading this post. A little emotional, here. Glad that you have found your spot Beth, and that you appreciate who and what you have in your life. It’s all too easy to become complacent and groan and moan about the littlest of things. We are so lucky to be living in such a great country, full stop!

  30. One day I hope I can pinch myself about my home like you do about yours. It has a long way to go. I’m a country girl at hear, but we’ve decided to settle in the city suburbs. I miss the mountains of my homeland, the clear, crisp air. You’re lucky to have it where you are.

  31. love your garden

    if you ever wake up and it is gone you know who’s stolen it

  32. I feel like that friend you see in the movies. You know the one I mean don’t you?

    You know that lead girl in that movie who gets the whole town out cheering for her in the big parade at the end, when she finally makes it big after years of not quite but nearly there, lashings of potential and many obstacles and trying her very best? Well right now, I feel like the the girlfriend who waves at lead girl from the sidewalk in the crowd, with a tears of joy in her eyes, and a mix of pride, happiness (with a teensy drop of envy) in her heart, that if she couldn’t(or hasn’t yet) made it all the way there yet, she’s super glad & genuinely happy the lead girl did.

    You truly deserve it Beth.

    Big hugs,
    Gabs x

  33. I’m so happy for you Beth. Your love for your life shines through in everything you write. You are an inspiration on how to take life by the balls and live it the way you want. xx

  34. So beautiful. I miss the country air each and every day that I wake up and breathe in Sydney’s smog. Congratulations on 2 years of happiness and gratitude!

  35. Lovely post. It is wonderful that you took a risk and it has turned out to be everything you hoped and more. I have only just recently started following you and am enjoying your journey.

  36. What a gorgeous home and an ideal sounding life. Sounds like you made the perfect decision for your family. x

  37. Sounds idyllic x

  38. Beautiful post! As one who has had to be brave in the face of a seachange I can completely relate to so much of this. Happy you are “home” x

  39. Best decision ever. xx

  40. One day I will do it. Soon. Just have to decide where to. I think you just have to bite the bullet and GO. DONT LOOK BACK! x

  41. Melissa064 says

    Good on you, how wonderful that you followed your dreams and are now living them…I love reading your blog and ps. your house looks gorgous!

  42. Lovely words Beth, as always. x

  43. You went there as a family, knowing you were doing it for your family.. that was all that mattered and that is why it worked. Your courage and conviction have paid you back ten fold just as you deserved. Congrats Beth.. Happy Days x

  44. Well done lady, TWO WHOLE YEARS, incredible! I kinda knew you would never look back, so pleased it has been so fabulous for you & the fam xo

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