Coast or Near family?

We moved to the coast before the GC arrived. We love it here and wouldn't want to move away. Whether I'd have agreed to move after DGC arrived is debatable! But we all see each other regularly, (being an hour or two away up the motorway) and that's what matters. Distance makes it harder to be hands on but the flip side is when you get together it's for longer. I feel we have a good balance.

Thank you for all your kind and helpful thoughts. It is a hard decision. I am going to stay where family and friends are for now but go to the coast for a week now and then to see how I would feel living there. I know it won't be exactly the same but at least I will get an idea about different areas. Good luck to all of you who are making life changes too!

This thread has given en me lots of thought too, Willow . As I said, our cottage by the sea is our haven and we can come here anytime we like. But I think to move here permanently would be wrong. We have no buses, we are 7 miles from nearest station, an hour plus from nearest hospital, no real friends or activities that we have plenty of at home. Our families are 2 hours away. The comments on here have helped me realise we are better as we are. Part timers in both places.
Visit the coast in all seasons and you will get a real feel for the place.

I would move to the coast, families can move away as circumstances change. If you are where you would like to be, on the coast, they can visit you. Good luck.