Friday 30 September 2011

-1: Other Homes and Gardens

OK, so I haven't spent my entire life in this house.  I've counted them all up and I've actually lived in 13 other places.  It's just that 12 of them were in Canberra.  Click on the markers for more info about each...


View Other Homes and Gardens in a larger map


...and the 13th? The H R Haldeman House in Maryland


View Other Homes and Gardens in a larger map

Thursday 29 September 2011

A new start

Today has been an exciting day.  I've accepted a job offer from ThoughtWorks in Sydney. Soon I'll be leaving home to start a new life as a truly Agile developer.

Cosy Grove ca 1987
This is a huge change for me. For the last twenty-odd years I've shared this home in Canberra with my husband Dave and children (now young adults) Josie and Tim. We've accreted possessions like the barnacles on an old ship; last year's clothes; books we've read and re-read; gifts lovingly bestowed on us by generous relatives. How are we going to handle this shift to a new city?

Of course we talked it over when the possibility arose. Josie and Tim are studying at University and have opted to stay here. Dave will go back and forth as the mood takes him.  And I'll be spending every week in Sydney  (except when asked to travel for work) and many weekends in Canberra.

I started looking at where I might stay in Sydney. There are so many different lifestyles - the heart of the city, at the beach, in the suburbs, near a national park;  I want to try them all! A flash of inspiration - if I'm going to be working Agile, why not live Agile too? Working Agile is about getting rid of everything that's weighing you down. Can I live as Agile as I work? I love travelling light - I spent three weeks in Europe on a cabin bag.

Here's my challenge to myself. Can I live for a year out of one suitcase and one backpack? Trying out whatever furnished accommodation comes to hand for one to two months at a time before moving on to try something different? I don't know! Wanna come with me and see?