Anybody "upped and cleared off"??

[ayceejay]

Ewan McGregor was in a Peter Greenaway movie called
'The Pillow book', there was a tattooed Japanese woman in the movie who suffered from things being static, so periodically she would not only move but she would have a bonfire and burn everything from the old life. A bit drastic for me but when I moved to Canada I had very little and this was the third time I had started again from nothing, there is something empowering about it almost like reinventing yourself

 

[Booyaa]

Yes a few times, hopefully not for a long time now though. Finally found peace.

 

[Brains]

[QUOTE 3729421, member: 259"]
Watch out for a few things if you leave the country. You,'ll be disenfranchised in important votes after 15 years. Not the case for most other countries.[/QUOTE]

Its in this years Queens speech to rescind that law, so ex-pats will be able to vote for as long as they hold a British Passport

 

[Mandragora]

.....although before we get too soppy about the Dales, it rains a lot, it frequently blows a gale, it's very hilly, the internet is slow, mobile phones frequently don't work, the locals can be miserable

That sounds exactly like most of Devon....., 'cept Devon's wetter.

 

[welsh dragon]

We moved from Birmingham to Wales. Just sold up and left. Best thing I ever did. Of course my son and daughter followed us down here as well. Go for it. What have you got to lose.

 

[marshmella]

I moved one stop further away on the tube line a few years back. Scary but worth it.

I've only ever moved twice,first time just a few miles from parents house then next time just a few streets away. Though my next door neighbour had the shortest move ever to a house across the road, i helped him carry his furniture over.

 

[speccy1]

I came back from the Fridays LonJog in 2012 and decided to move house and downsize so that I could go away (with or without bike) more often and more spontaneously (I've been freelance for many years, so finding a job wasn't an issue). I cleared out 20 years' worth of stuff I didn't need, sold my house in a rural village and moved in January 2013 to a much smaller house in an urban setting. Smaller bills, no mortgage, no car now as I found I didn't need one, pubs and gigs within easy reach, I love it. And I can disappear off to mooch about in all sorts of places that I never had time to see before.

Having once upped and cleared off in a far more drastic way when I was much younger, leaving almost everything I owned behind for love, I have nothing but good things to say about doing this every now and again. OP, if you're so unfulfilled where you are I would give it some very serious thought.

This is not just a "daydreaming at work during yesterdays teabreak" decision, it has been on my mind for the last 3 years....ish so it`s certainly a long standing decision. I`ve had so many holidays up north and am always grumpy as hell when I have to come back. As for what others have that about the weather - that is home from home!!

 

[screenman]

We drove up the A1 in 1988 turned right after 150 miles and brought a house, I sometimes wish we had turned left, but sure am pleased we did not turn around.

 

[summerdays]

I've not shifted very often, I find it hard to leave, so the last move was just 10 miles but to a less urban location. I like it but I'm still finding my feet, and I wish I could transplant my friends to here, but they still love their central City location.

 

[Saluki]

There is someone in Tomintoul wanting a housing exchange to right where we live now. I am a bit tempted but Hubster says that it's a heck of a hike to Raigmore, which will be the nearest dialysis unit. No dialysis unit at Aviemore. Bugger.

 

[Zojam]

I was sorry to read your post, GWS

Thanks

 

[Flying_Monkey]

We moved from North Tyneside to Ontario almost 6 years ago. The reasons were leaving were many but mainly because I got offered a very good job. There were push factors too: even on two academic salaries, we couldn't afford to buy the flat we were renting or anything else in the area we were living in; my wife (who is Japanese) was getting a bit tired of the lack of sunshine in the North-east as well as what seemed to be increasing xenophobia. I was just restless and wanted some land to develop a forest garden and build a ecological house. We found an acre of land with an little old house and a barn on an island at the top end of Lake Ontario, and we've just finished paying for it. So this year we are about to start building our passivhaus...

There are things I miss about Northumbria and Newcastle, in particular the country roads and cycling and - and as to the UK in general, could we have afforded to do what we are doing here in a warmer and equally lovely part of the UK (like the OP's Devon, where my grandparents used to live), we might well have been very happy to to have done that - but I don't regret leaving. Doesn't mean I have any advice for anyone else though - everybody's situations, reasons and outcomes are different.

 

[speccy1]

I get you totally, Canada is beautiful, it`s out of my league but am jealous, enjoy it. Is the cycling good over there then??

 

[Zojam]

I took my Ron Cooper bikes to Ontario in 1986 and used to cycle round High Park when I stayed in Etobicoke and also spent time in Northern Ontario on Lake Nipissing and also Saulte St Marie. Loved Canada

 

[speccy1]

[QUOTE 3729820, member: 76"]I have moved loads, none until I was 16 (but I couldn't wait to move so joined the Army at 16yr 3mths), then postings all over. Since I left I have lived in Gibraltar, and all over the UK moving around every few years until I found my way to Cheddar. Now I think I have finally found a home!

Not too far from me then!![/QUOTE]