The banker came home the other day and raised the possibility of us staying here for a longer period of time - and I have no idea what I think about that. On the one hand, the schooling here is superb and I can see a huge benefit for the children in staying here for a longer period of time. The classes are very small, they get individual attention, the school is very close to our house, the curriculum is very wide and they get a lot of exposure to different subjects, teachers and classes... far better than we experienced in Asia.
On the other hand, I hate the weather here. The word that most springs to mind is grim. Living in a small place limits opportunities. I can't always do the things that I would like to do. Getting off the island is expensive and difficult to manage both in terms of the weather, the cost and the sheer logistics.
But really none of these things will have any impact at all. It will come down to the job and whether the job is the right one for him at the time. This is not a matter of him being selfish - it is a matter of us recognising the best possible outcome for the family as a whole.
My job is to make sure that everyone is happy and manages regardless of where we are. If we stay here I would like to buy a property rather than living in the accommodation that the bank provides. Somewhere in Europe is an attractive option as it would give us a base that is not so far away. This would also provide some continuity for the children rather than living in provided accommodation. Also, if we have a base then we can stop this endless culling of possessions. Each time we move we are limited as to how much we can ship and with a house full of kids we seem to be endlessly accumulating whether it is the collection of shells, stickers or rocks or simply books and novels. By having a base we can retain some of this stuff and keep it in one location.
So right now I have two things in my head. Moving back to somewhere in Asia. Or staying put.
And things will start happening and decisions will be made over the next four months....
