I’ve always been a city mouse, so when we decided to move from Melbourne, Australia, to Bright in country Victoria in 2021, I wasn’t sure how long I’d last. Our family ended up falling in love with the slower pace of life and the people, and spent four years in the small alpine town at the foothills of the Victorian Alps.
But in January, we moved from Bright to the Gold Coast, where I grew up. My parents’ health was declining, and I wanted to spend quality time with them before it was too late.
Moving from a small regional town of fewer than 3,000 people to a city of almost 700,000 was a profound lifestyle shift for our family of five. We had to make new friends, learn how to navigate a traffic light again (joking!), and get used to the buzzing city life.
Overall, we’ve gained a lot from moving to the city, and I feel it’s been especially beneficial to our kids, as it’s helped build resilience. But there are definitely things about country life that I do miss, if I’m being honest.
Life is full of trade-offs, and we’ve definitely made a few.
We’ve gained convenience and accessibility
In country Victoria, our nearest major retailer was an hour’s drive away. If the kids needed new shoes or I needed new underwear, off we’d drive to the nearest major town. It often felt like a mission just to access simple amenities.
Nowadays, everything we need is at our fingertips. If we want to eat Italian one night and Nepalese the next, we can. The Gold Coast has all the amenities we need, and a good mix of beaches, hinterland hikes, nightlife, festivals, and an up-and-coming food scene.
There are more career and education opportunities
Cities generally offer better career and education opportunities, without a doubt. In our family, my husband has probably benefited the most in that regard.
When we moved here in January, he expanded his Muscle Freedom remedial massage and myotherapy business and started a clinic on the Gold Coast. Since then, the opportunities have been incredible, and he’s treated some of Australia’s biggest sporting identities. That would likely never have happened in country Victoria (unless they were holidaying there).
Likewise, our kids seem to be thriving at school and in their extra-curricular activities, many of which were unavailable where we used to live.
I enjoy the anonymity, and the diversity here is also a big plus
When I was having a bad mental health day in Bright, there was no escaping friends and family (bless them). Once, at the supermarket, I was weeping in the bread aisle, only to be greeted by my husband’s cheerful colleague, who was keen to chat about the weather. I wanted to scream and run away.
In the city, I quite enjoy the anonymity and being a number in the crowd, especially on harder days.
I also love having access to a diverse range of art, music, entertainment, and food on the Gold Coast. After four years living in the country, I began to feel a bit starved of culture.
My kids are also mingling with children from different backgrounds and walks of life, which I am really happy about.
However, we miss having nature at our doorstep, and wide open spaces
Bright is surrounded by mountains, forests, rivers, and cycling trails, with gorgeous national parks a short drive away. It really is a smorgasbord of activities for outdoor enthusiasts.
The Gold Coast has plenty of sunshine and offers some spectacular natural scenery, but you do have to drive to access it. I’ve actually put on a few kilos living in the city, and I think it’s mainly because I’m not walking or cycling as much.
When we recently returned to Bright for a family holiday, I realized how much I’ve missed those wide open spaces. The air seems to feel fresher there.
Living in suburbia on the Gold Coast, the blocks are tighter, and some areas feel like the properties are on top of each other. Even as I write this, I can overhear the next-door neighbor arguing with her husband about his messy household habits.
I also miss the close-knit community and slower pace
I’ve been lucky enough to make some wonderful friends on the Gold Coast. The kind who check in on us when we’re sick or offer to babysit if my husband and I need a night out. But it also seems that people are busier in the city, and get-togethers happen less often.
In a small town like Bright, it’s easier to catch up with people because everyone lives close by. I found that living in the country helped me form deeper connections with friends. That brought a sense of security, knowing that someone always has your back.
Since moving to the city, life has felt frantic. For the first six months, every weekend was jam-packed with catch-ups with family and new and old friends.
In a small country town, the pace of life was much slower. Recently, while we were holidaying in Bright, I felt my shoulders relax, and my stress levels decrease. There’s something to be said for a simple life.
What our next chapter holds
We’d intended to give the Gold Coast 12 months and then make a call about where to base ourselves long-term. But now that we’re almost at that mark, we’ve realized it’s too soon to make a decision.
And so, we’ll be spending 2027 here, then reassessing our options late next year. Part of me craves the open skies, fresh mountain air, and the stillness I took for granted in the country, but I’m also enjoying having Aldi a kilometer away and more choices overall.
I suppose at the end of the day, there’s no perfect place to live, just places that suit you at different life stages. For now, the Gold Coast is giving us convenience, variety, and time with my folks, and I intend to enjoy the best of what city life has to offer.
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