Where should you live? Have you ever chosen somewhere for a particular reason, which either turned out to be the right decision or a mistake? … We all have unless we’ve never ventured away from our home town!

You choose where you live for a number of reasons:

• Friends/ family 
• Career
• Employment opportunities 
• Location 
• Climate 
• Cost of living 
• Healthcare 
• Infrastructure 
• Landscape 
• Education 
• Crime rate 
• Culture 

Now which reasons should keep us in a certain place? A strong one is friends and family – let’s face it, in a perfect world we’d all have our nearest and dearest right there with us. This is not a perfect world! Living in multiple places is hard. Sometimes things fall into place and everything is hunky- dory, you have your clan, life is good and you love where you live; there is no yearning for anywhere else.

BUT, often the reality is there is a “but”

What then? Usually it’s because where you are makes you unhappy, or you’d rather be somewhere else. We all have things we want and need, and unless we’re extremely blessed we are not going to have it all. Accepting this is key to moving forward.

These days it’s a lot easier living away from loved ones than in days gone by (assuming that you may only be picking one place over another for this reason). Video chat, instant messaging and phone calls are a godsend.

We’ve toyed with the idea of moving back to where I grew up, reasons being mainly because of family and friends (the benefits and disadvantages come along with any place, albeit slightly varied.) Yes the reasons are good, if not great for moving there but it might be the wrong place for us. We simply might not feel we belong or are home.

The call of the unknown

Intimidating and spellbinding all intertwined rather messily! You’ll never know if you don’t go if it was a mistake or worth it — is the risk too great to find out?

Living in Melbourne looking up at the grey skies constantly made us gloomy, it wasn’t home. One place so many love yet for us being there wasn’t right. To be true to ourselves we need to be in the right place, yet sometimes you may be without realising it (this realisation nearly always comes with hindsight). Many places may be right for you simultaneously – or one place might be, only to outgrow it later.

Do you leave a little of your heart wherever you live?

For those with a gypsy soul your home is your journey. Have you ever thought that this statement in itself might be your truth and answer? What if there IS no place as a single destination for you.

Wouldn’t it be good to be a clairvoyant and see where you’re supposed to be? Perhaps, but part of the adventure is the journey to that destination. The path you take will often be home to some of lives fondest memories. And it’s ALWAYS on your journey that you find your place, just at what time?

On the other hand, sometimes knowing isn’t good, you may not be too pleased with where you’re supposed to be (if you know beforehand) life changes with many twists and turns. I guarantee most people get to a certain age and end up somewhere they desperately don’t want to be, only to give the place a go and it turn out to be one of their best life choices. Often we find this happens before we’re even out of our twenties. If 10 years ago someone told me the places I would’ve lived etc. I 100% wouldn’t have believed them. I would have thought they were very imaginative and a good story teller.

How do you know then?

Well it’s simple and it’s complicated — Sometimes you just know! I mean really know (not just think you do). That’s how simple it can be. Or you don’t have a clue and couldn’t be more confused if you tried. In this less appealing scenario – which a great chunk of people fall in – there are 3 pathways you can take:

Settle for less

You can settle for less and just accept where you are – life is more exciting than this, really – I mean, this isn’t a bad option depending on your situation. You might have a great job, family and friends where you live. For some, if your life is very secure and risk free this might be a safe option. However there’s no denying if it doesn’t feel right then it probably isn’t.

 

Keep on trudging

Don’t stop until you find the place you feel most alive. We have all had to live or visit places where two big bold words come to mind “No way!” It’s the flip side to knowing where you belong, you know for a fact that you don’t belong, not now, not ever.

A realisation

That there wasn’t, isn’t and never will be a single place for you. Your home is your journey, paved by a combination of all the many destinations that dot it . this is where you belong. It doesn’t matter where you’re going, what matters is who’s beside you and the living you do along the way.

For some of us we belong with our activities, sports stars may feel they belong in the field (wherever it may be), medical personnel may feel most at home helping their patients. Aircraft and cruise ship crew might feel most at home whilst on their vessels.

Whichever way you look at it, we all either belong somewhere or doing something which makes feel truly ourselves. The faster we find the answers the happier we’ll be, usually. Just remember, sometimes the hunt for it can blind you from the adventure of the journey, when you realise this the more free you’ll feel and the hunt for your perfect location will end…

❄️ Or will it? Maybe you’ll always be looking?