The Moving Experience
Moving and being Moved
The act of moving abroad has sharpened and clarified a number of things for me. Not least of which is the fact that we weren't really leaving so much as going. This wasn't a desire to get away from the North East of England - I'd recommend it to anyone, anywhere. No, it is the desire to see the world while we can that has brought us to this point.
I have become acutely aware that when Thomas is my age the world will be a very different place. International travel will be much more restricted for environmental and political reasons and we will need to live much more restrained lifestyles - not that this is a bad thing, it just means that the opportunities to experience different cultures and environments will be less prevalent.
The first thing the move has done is made me appreciate just how amazing my home is. The North East, despite its temperamental weather, is a beautiful place, which is beginning to experience a renaissance. There are independent shops, bars and restaurants popping up and thriving all over the place and new industry is making its way into the area. Okay, not everyone is benefiting from this regeneration and there are some areas that are not so nice to spend time in, but on the whole the North East is a brilliant place to live and we will be coming back. Of this there is no doubt at all.
A beautiful summer's morning at Boulmer beach just before a trail run with a another great friend - good times!
There are also nooks and crannies across Northumberland that I am yet to explore. Lockdown forced me to get creative with our outings, both the ones from our doorstep (lockdown 1) and when we could legitimately travel further afield within our own area (lockdowns 2&3).
A fantastic day out with good friends, exploring the Rothbury Terraces - a place that I didn't even know existed until a couple of months ago!
The 'Hen Hole' (don't ask - I haven't a clue why it's called that) - another brilliant day's trail running with brilliant company in a brilliant location - doesn't get much better!
The process of leaving has increased my love for my home county and solidified my personal connection to the place - odd given that I'm taking a temporary leave of absence, but that's how it works I guess. You don't appreciate what you have until you don't have it anymore. A useful lesson not to take things for granted.
The second thing was the inevitable separations from people that have occurred. It has clarified just how strong the various bonds to the people in my life are. I am lucky to have a strong circle of friends who are actively remaining in touch (okay it's early days - we've only been gone a week!). We also enjoyed some quality time with family, which also took the sting out of things.
A family game of boule - it definitely didn't get competitive, honest!
The use of video calls has revolutionised the way we connect. This made lockdown bearable, kept us in touch with family and friends and even enabled social gatherings to take place, albeit in a more limited fashion than face-to-face, but it was and is better than nothing.
Even this blog is a way to reach out and express what we're going through and in so doing hopefully maintain our connections with friends and family.
Saying goodbye was moving, but being moved like this shows that we care and demonstrates the attachments that we have to the people and places in our lives. Moving away, temporarily as it is, has reminded me of the strength of those connections, both the old and deep and the newer, but equally strong bonds that have formed.
It doesn't however remove the pain of separation. I do though find comfort in the line recently delivered by an imaginary comic book robot, in a pastiche of American sit coms.
"What is grief, but love persevering?"
Comments
Post a Comment