... the Potski family arrived in Moscow.
Not for a long weekend. Not for a week. Not for 'a look-see'. But to live. At the time, we thought we might only be here for a few months, so brought very little with us. (Well, when I say 'very little', I mean 4 enormous hold-baggage suitcases and around 54* items of hand luggage. A lot for a holiday, certainly - but not when you're planning on making your home somewhere).
Not long after we arrived, it became clear that a few months wouldn't do it. There was too much to see, to do, and experience to even consider climbing back on the plane only 6 months later, so we decided we would stay a total of 18 months and threw ourselves into making lives here in Russia. We succeeded - to the extent that when our 18 month window was drawing to a close, we decided it wouldn't be nearly enough. Another year, then. That would take us to 2 1/2 years; surely a respectable amount of time to spend anywhere that you don't plan on being your long-term home?
Guess what? 2 1/2 years is a respectable amount of time to spend somewhere. But so, we decided, was 3 1/2 years. So last May we paid the Boys' school fees for another year. That would would take us up to summer 2013 - enough for any family who knows that at some point they will return to the UK schooling system.
And now it's January 2013. Decision time - do we stay yet another year? - is hurtling towards us at breakneck speed - again. Has anything changed? Well, no and yes. We are still enjoying living here, and in many ways life in Moscow is significantly easier now than it was back in January 2010, both on a general and a personal basis. 3 years on, I know how things work, I understand some of the language (although making myself understood in return still escapes me), and I have made friends I can count on - and who I hope count on me - on in times of need. I have developed business contacts, I've discovered skills I didn't know I had, and to top it all off, Husband is enjoying his work and the Boys are happy and settled.
But on the other hand, we moved here to spend time together as a family and since August Husband has been travelling more often than he's been at home; for the last 4 months I've been solo-parenting Monday-Friday. Not an easy thing to do week in, week out when you're 1500 miles from your family support network. Also, time is marching on; if my sons are to return to UK schools the sooner they do that, the better. And finally, there are the not-so-small matters of missing our families and important events in their lives, and of me working outside the home. Yes, I could work here, but it would involve compromises I'm not ready to make just yet. And it's an undeniable fact that whilst it would still be a juggling act, returning to formal employment in the UK unencumbered by the need for working visas etc would be a lot simpler than it would be here.
So the decision to stay or go is less straightforward this year - for me, at least - than it was for the previous three...
* '54' may be a slight exaggeration...
Not for a long weekend. Not for a week. Not for 'a look-see'. But to live. At the time, we thought we might only be here for a few months, so brought very little with us. (Well, when I say 'very little', I mean 4 enormous hold-baggage suitcases and around 54* items of hand luggage. A lot for a holiday, certainly - but not when you're planning on making your home somewhere).
Not long after we arrived, it became clear that a few months wouldn't do it. There was too much to see, to do, and experience to even consider climbing back on the plane only 6 months later, so we decided we would stay a total of 18 months and threw ourselves into making lives here in Russia. We succeeded - to the extent that when our 18 month window was drawing to a close, we decided it wouldn't be nearly enough. Another year, then. That would take us to 2 1/2 years; surely a respectable amount of time to spend anywhere that you don't plan on being your long-term home?
Guess what? 2 1/2 years is a respectable amount of time to spend somewhere. But so, we decided, was 3 1/2 years. So last May we paid the Boys' school fees for another year. That would would take us up to summer 2013 - enough for any family who knows that at some point they will return to the UK schooling system.
And now it's January 2013. Decision time - do we stay yet another year? - is hurtling towards us at breakneck speed - again. Has anything changed? Well, no and yes. We are still enjoying living here, and in many ways life in Moscow is significantly easier now than it was back in January 2010, both on a general and a personal basis. 3 years on, I know how things work, I understand some of the language (although making myself understood in return still escapes me), and I have made friends I can count on - and who I hope count on me - on in times of need. I have developed business contacts, I've discovered skills I didn't know I had, and to top it all off, Husband is enjoying his work and the Boys are happy and settled.
But on the other hand, we moved here to spend time together as a family and since August Husband has been travelling more often than he's been at home; for the last 4 months I've been solo-parenting Monday-Friday. Not an easy thing to do week in, week out when you're 1500 miles from your family support network. Also, time is marching on; if my sons are to return to UK schools the sooner they do that, the better. And finally, there are the not-so-small matters of missing our families and important events in their lives, and of me working outside the home. Yes, I could work here, but it would involve compromises I'm not ready to make just yet. And it's an undeniable fact that whilst it would still be a juggling act, returning to formal employment in the UK unencumbered by the need for working visas etc would be a lot simpler than it would be here.
So the decision to stay or go is less straightforward this year - for me, at least - than it was for the previous three...
* '54' may be a slight exaggeration...
