Last year we had a plan. We were going to travel around Europe and the USA and our last destination on our itinerary was Melbourne. We were going to stay for 4 nights, visit friends, drink coffee & wine and seriously ask ourselves could we live here? Then we had a baby in Tokyo and of course our plans changed. We decided to return to Perth for the comfort of familiarity and the support of family and regroup. Its been a mix bag.
The downside to living in Perth is that in the last 12 months there was a mass exodus in our group of friends. We have a really great bunch of friends. Proper close friends you can talk crap and drink wine with but also call them in a crisis, people I love. They have scattered themselves all over the world from London to Singapore to Broome to Melbourne. So Perth for us at the moment is a little weird. Its the city that both Ross and I grew up in but it feels foreign and we both have the feeling that perhaps its time to move on. We both are feeling that there is maybe more out there both career and lifestyle wise and it might be time to pack up and explore.
On the flipside, since we got back from Tokyo we have met more new people than ever before. Mainly because we have a baby. These new friends are amazing. They are on the same page as us, not just the baby page but you know when you meet people who from your tribe? We also have our family here. They are also amazing. I never grew up with Grandparents or extended family as they live in NSW & Victoria, it was always just my Dad, Mum, brother and me. I never really got to know my Grandparents that much as we only ever saw them a handful of times before they passed away. Ross grew up with Grandparents who are still in our lives now and its fabulous. I look at Ross' family and they are all so close, they celebrate everyones birthdays with massive get-togethers, their Christmases are magic and its kind of something I want Tallulah to experience. Its the kind of family I always wanted when I was a kid.
But then we start to thinking if we don't go and live somewhere different now while Tallulah is still little we may never leave. This scares me. 18-year-old Renee was always going to move to Melbourne but I went to uni, then travelled, then started a jewellery label, then decided to study again, then I opened a shop in Perth and juggled an amazing job working for Perth Fashion Festival. Owning my own business meant Perth and I were in a committed relationship. But then last June my business partner and I decided to sell and we waved goodbye to our little shop. It was all types of sad and excitement. But suddenly Ross and I had no ties to Perth and the world became our oyster.
We still feel the world is our oyster and we have always said that our dreams don't have to over since becoming parents. Its just certain things have become more important now we have a kiddo! Since we have been back in Perth we have had what seems a million conversations (mostly over wine, I swear I have wine on the brain!) about what our next step should be. It seems to change weekly, sometimes daily but what we are scheming at the moment feels pretty spot on.
Our lease is up early next year and we are planning to pack up our house (again!) and go on a 6 week holiday to the USA. Then on our return to Perth move in with the Parentals (again!) and explore career options in both Perth and Melbourne and just see what is on offer and then go from there.
But you know what, we had grand plans before and the most unexpected (and amazing!) thing happened to us and everything changed so I guess I have learnt that planning is super fun but sometimes plans choose you which is why we are just going to see what happens! Good plan, I think!
