The Year is Over

It's hard to believe it's over a year already since I started My Year of Agile Living.

This whole time I've been living in Sydney, spending the weekend at Cosy Grove roughly once a fortnight to catch up with the kids. Dave has been living roughly half the time with me in Sydney and half the time with the kids in Canberra.

Me at Sculptures by the Sea

You'd think being separated for half the year would put some strain on our marriage, but it has actually been a renewal. The time we have had together in Sydney has felt like a honeymoon, just the two of us in the apartment, exploring Sydney's attractions and events.

The ThoughtWorks social club has been a terrific way to see Sydney, with outings to Cirque du Soleil and the Sydney Biennale on Cockatoo Island being amongst the most memorable.

I'll admit the year hasn't gone entirely according to plan. I haven't been able to cultivate the zen-like detachment from belongings and living space that I had hoped to. During the year I have accumulated far more than the original single suitcase and backpack worth of stuff in Sydney. But at least it's less than a truck-worth.

And I became so attached to the apartment in Wollstonecraft that I am still there after seven months. But I have tried four other dwellings.

I had to return to Canberra for a month to support my family during some difficult times, but I'm back in Sydney now and I'm loving it. I'd find it hard now to live anywhere else; though that won't stop me from giving it a try if adventure beckons.

Working for ThoughtWorks has been everything I hoped for and more. The people have been wonderful; so supportive and caring, and so very smart it's scary. I have learnt an amazing amount this year in this extraordinary company, put in a great deal of hard work, and had a huge amount of fun. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

So what are my plans for the future? I'll definitely continue working for ThoughtWorks as long as I can. Our son is planning to move out of home next year, and our daughter may too. When that time comes we may have to change what we're doing, but until then we'll carry on as we are now.

If you want to continue the journey with me, visit my new blog, MAC's Musings.

5: Bristol on Sinclair

Arrival

I moved into "Bristol on Sinclair" on April 2, 2012. The building was
built as an extension to the Mater Hospital in
1929 in the art-deco style, and has a heritage listed facade.

View of the staircase from the loft

The apartment is a loft style apartment with a galley kitchen, a laundry-in-a-cupboard, and a small eating/sitting
area. There's a spiral staircase leading up to a loft with a queen bed, built in robes, and an ensuite bathroom.

Cost

$425 per week - a tad more than our budget but worth it!

First Impressions

	It felt wonderful to be moving into a place of our own; a place with a secure parking space for our car and a lift up to our door. And our own laundry facilities, including a dryer. Bliss!
	It being a loft apartment, there's no bedroom door, so light and sound spill over from the lounge room to the bedroom. There's no privacy when visitors are present, and they are forced to walk through the bedroom to get to the bathroom. Also, there's a construction site next door, and the jackhammers start around 7am on weekdays - but the noise is not usually too bad.
	The first night I slept in the apartment was quite hot, and I left the windows open. Unfortunately a mosquito found me, and I was awake half the night boxing my own ears trying to stop the whining.

The Neighbourhood

What I really love about this place is the neighbourhood. It seems like you can walk for a few minutes and get to anything you need. We're five minutes walk from the heart of Crows Nest with hundreds of restaurants, cafes and bars. 15 minutes takes you to North Sydney, where I was working from January until September - lovely to be able to walk to work after the hour journey I had from Allawah!

Wollstonecraft, St Leonard's and North Sydney train stations are all within walking distance, but the easiest way into the city is by bus. The buses run every few minutes straight down the Pacific Highway, with a stop less than a block from our building. They'll get you into town in 10 minutes if the traffic is light.

What will I miss?

This has been a wonderful place to live, and I'd recommend it to anyone. We have a wonderful view of the city
lights, and can just see the Harbour Bridge peeking above the trees. 

The area is fairly quiet, with some lovely walks down to the harbour. I've been pleasantly surprised by how green and leafy North Sydney is; I had always thought Canberra had the monopoly on green space in cities.

Departure

Despite my plans to try as much of Sydney as I could in my first year there, I fell in love with this place and have not been able to bring myself to move... yet...