I’m looking for my first ever house to buy. While it is charming and I am okay with all the cons of it, I am still hesitating to make the final decision. Even though the area is better than where I currently live—like supermarkets, necessities, and the beauty of the region—my main concern is that it’s 3 hours away from my parents, friends, and social network. While that may seem like ‘just’ round the corner, we are planning to have kids in the near future (we’re a lovely couple, 25 years old). I grew up in an environment where the grandparents help the younger generation, and I see that as a good deal. If something goes wrong, like being sick or having work troubles, the elders could always step in. Due to my work, I am often absent from home—let’s say half of the year is gone for business trips—which makes parenthood even harder, especially for the mother. So what to do, fellow redditors? Just suck it up and find a way to deal with the problem, or look for something in the current area while thinking about how much more I could have seen… Am I overwhelmed?
Moving 3 hours away from your support network when you’re often going to leave your partner alone with a kid sounds like a bad idea.
It really comes down to what you want and your personal values. To me, 3 hours isn’t too far; your family can drive up in an emergency, or you can drop the kids off for a few days. I moved 8 hours from my family, and we still feel close to them. We wanted what our current location offers and are aware of the costs of our move. We don’t regret it, but we do miss being closer to family.
@Clovis
That’s a good perspective. I guess it depends on how much I value that support network.
If you plan on family being your support network, stay within 45 minutes of them. It makes a big difference.
KevinScott said:
If you plan on family being your support network, stay within 45 minutes of them. It makes a big difference.
That’s a solid point. I’ll have to think more about that.
Is this a place you want to move to, or do you feel like you have to?
Weston said:
Is this a place you want to move to, or do you feel like you have to?
I want to move there for the opportunities, but I also feel the pressure of being away from family.