On running away to Glastonbury Festival back in my twenties, to my current menopausal autistic midlife trap of fight/flight/freeze; and perpetual burnout.
Not sure why I didn’t see this last year. I’m a constant runner awayer. Hubby being in the RAF and therefore moving very often (on average every 18 months - 2 years) completely satisfied my need to run away. It was always around d that time span I began to feel I couldn’t cope with where ever we were and who ever we lived behind the wire with. Moving was classic running away. A clean start each time. Each move thinking that this would be the one I made real friends and wanted to stay. Where I would enjoy a job long enough to want to stay and not long for the excuse of a move to give up. Even now I’m still looking for the next move.
Hi Tamsin! That sounds amazing, did you move overseas a lot or was he always based in the UK? I think I would find moving house absolute chaos these days. But if I could just have a camper van ready to go for weekends where I don't have to pack, that would be great. With catproof windows so I can take the kitties, ha ha! Do you think you will move again? We live in a tsunami zone so every time there is an earthquake I panic and have to do the risk assessment of whether or not to evacuate. I would live to move inland and/or uphill. As if a massive EQ wouldn't be stressful enough!
W did a couple of overseas tours. Holland - working with NATO, and the Falkland Islands. Other than that, all within the UK. I had a system. Most houses were sort of duplicates of each other, all built post Second World War, so I knew exactly where everything went. The movers packed, I unpacked. I can sort a 4 bed house in 4 days.
We will move again, this house is lovely but too big, on a hill, too near a town, etc. At some point the adult kids might move out and we shall downsize to something with a bedroom or potential bedroom on the ground floor, less slopes, and less rooms. And then we may move one more time after that if needed.
Tangent: we nearly moved to Wellington, but decided we’d lose all the kids back to here once they were grown. And the wages were going to be abysmal, losing 2/3rds of his pay. (Transferring to the NZ airforce). So we stayed here.
Hi Tamsin, thanks for sharing that. What an incredible experience all that travelling must have offered. Although once you settle, it’s groundhog day wherever we live!
That’s awesome that you nearly moved here! My husband spent 15 or so years on an extended stay in the UK. He returned home with an English wife, two little ones and a British passport!
Occasionally he mentions wanting to live in the UK again but I don’t know if I could face more upheaval.
I don’t know how you did it! Moving drives me crazy! So much admin.
I hate hindsight sometimes. It can take me decades to really process a situation properly…
Disordered/determined... Is it only in hindsight we see the difference?
Another bloody insightful chapter, Sam. :)
Sorry, I only just saw this. Thanks, Erin! :)
Not sure why I didn’t see this last year. I’m a constant runner awayer. Hubby being in the RAF and therefore moving very often (on average every 18 months - 2 years) completely satisfied my need to run away. It was always around d that time span I began to feel I couldn’t cope with where ever we were and who ever we lived behind the wire with. Moving was classic running away. A clean start each time. Each move thinking that this would be the one I made real friends and wanted to stay. Where I would enjoy a job long enough to want to stay and not long for the excuse of a move to give up. Even now I’m still looking for the next move.
Hi Tamsin! That sounds amazing, did you move overseas a lot or was he always based in the UK? I think I would find moving house absolute chaos these days. But if I could just have a camper van ready to go for weekends where I don't have to pack, that would be great. With catproof windows so I can take the kitties, ha ha! Do you think you will move again? We live in a tsunami zone so every time there is an earthquake I panic and have to do the risk assessment of whether or not to evacuate. I would live to move inland and/or uphill. As if a massive EQ wouldn't be stressful enough!
W did a couple of overseas tours. Holland - working with NATO, and the Falkland Islands. Other than that, all within the UK. I had a system. Most houses were sort of duplicates of each other, all built post Second World War, so I knew exactly where everything went. The movers packed, I unpacked. I can sort a 4 bed house in 4 days.
We will move again, this house is lovely but too big, on a hill, too near a town, etc. At some point the adult kids might move out and we shall downsize to something with a bedroom or potential bedroom on the ground floor, less slopes, and less rooms. And then we may move one more time after that if needed.
Tangent: we nearly moved to Wellington, but decided we’d lose all the kids back to here once they were grown. And the wages were going to be abysmal, losing 2/3rds of his pay. (Transferring to the NZ airforce). So we stayed here.
Hi Tamsin, thanks for sharing that. What an incredible experience all that travelling must have offered. Although once you settle, it’s groundhog day wherever we live!
That’s awesome that you nearly moved here! My husband spent 15 or so years on an extended stay in the UK. He returned home with an English wife, two little ones and a British passport!
Occasionally he mentions wanting to live in the UK again but I don’t know if I could face more upheaval.
I don’t know how you did it! Moving drives me crazy! So much admin.