What it’s like to move your family across the country – twice

Posted in Relationships.
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Many of us dream of moving to somewhere warmer / cheaper / friendlier / better, but hurdles in the way of such a big move seem insurmountable. Not so for Sara Fisher, who has moved her family from one side of the country to the other, and back again.

Making the move

Sara and her husband, Damian first moved from Canberra to Perth in 2010. Back then, they were just a young couple, chasing the sun. “We fell in love with the place,” Sara says. “The weather and the lifestyle was what we moved here for in the beginning. The beaches, and the sunshine just makes you happy.”

The pair settled in and had their first child, but it wasn’t until Sara was pregnant with her second that the homesick bug started to bite. After much deliberation, they decided to move back to Canberra.

“When we decided to go back to Canberra it was for family and because we missed everybody,” says Sara. “We were just homesick.”

Finding her tribe

In order to help settle in back home and meet other new mums, Sara joined the local Mama Tribe. The group offered meet-ups and get-togethers for new mums and mums-to-be. It was the perfect way for a mum with a toddler and a new baby to make friends.

Sara also finally had what she came home for in the first place: the support of her family. “You could just drop in to Nanny and Poppy’s house,” she says, highlighting the casual easiness that family relationships bring. “You were still there with the kids, but there were other people watching that could help. You could have a cup of coffee that didn’t go cold.” The dream of new mums everywhere.

However, after a couple of years – and a couple of babies – the lure of Perth’s sunshine proved too strong, and Damian and Sara recently decided to move back. This time, the couple had three kids under six to relocate.


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Making the move … again

“We decided to move back to give our children – I wouldn’t say a better life, but a more active lifestyle,” Sara says. “Just a little bit more opportunity was over here for them.”

They’ve only been back a month, but Sara is already missing the casual nature of family versus friends. “Over here, I’m finding that we can’t just drop in to see [family], so you don’t get that break. So you definitely have to build your network.”

Mama Tribe connecting women

Fortunately for Sara, she was able to draw on her experience with Mama Tribe to help her settle in. Since joining in Canberra with her first child, she became a Mama Tribe ambassador, which means she’s now the one connecting other mums.

“In Canberra it was pretty full-on. There was a lot of traction, there were a lot of new mums coming in and meeting us. Over here, because Perth is such a huge place, we hope to get it growing as much as it was in Canberra.”

The need for connection

Already Sara sees a need for Mama Tribe in her new/old city. “There are a lot of fly-in-fly-out or drive-in-drive-out workers, so partners work away a couple of weeks and then they come back. So, you’ve got that time where you’re doing it on your own. There’s a call for a community over here.”

While she’s only been back in Perth a month, Sara hasn’t wasted any time. “I’m half unpacked, and we’ve already met some mums in Perth. I’ve got another Mama Mingle coming up at the end of the month.”

If Sara seems driven to connect with other mums, it’s because she is. Having moved with a baby not once, but twice, Sara knows how easy it is for mothers to feel lonely and become isolated. Growing Mama Tribe in Perth is therefore a “huge goal” for her.

“Not just to create my own network – because obviously I need that,” Sara confirms. “But for other mums as well… because you need it.”

 


Want to meet like-minded mama friends? Join the tribe to access local meet-ups and come along to a Mama Tribe pop-up party! With grazing platters and wine on arrival, you can instantly make new friends with other mums like you, and enjoy mini massages, make-up touch-ups as well as inspiring guest speakers.

Book your tickets now!

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