Planning a visit before we move
It’s kind of like test-driving a car or trying on an outfit before you buy it. We need to kick the tires, look in the full-length mirror, take a good look around these places in the UK and see which one speaks to us the most. Where are you, perfect British place?
My husband went on a scouting mission last year, and based on his experience, we’ve narrowed our shortlist to Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa.
Now, we’ve planned a trip for later this year to take our kids and spend a week in each place, wandering around and pretending we live there. I’ve never been to either city, and I’m definitely curious about our potential future home.
Here’s what we’re doing to make the most of our visit:
Staying in Airbnbs
We booked an Airbnb in Leamington for a week, and another in Stratford for the following week. It’s kind of essential when you travel with young kids to have the space to spread out. But it feels even more important with this trip that we can go grocery shopping, cook in our kitchen, hang out in our garden, and see how the regular day-to-day routines work in these places.Connecting with locals
Luckily, some friends of friends live in both places, so we’re able to get some insider tips and insights about what life is really like in each city. I also plan to chat with people we meet during our visit, at pubs and when we’re out and about. One of the bonuses of having cute little kids is that it’s a really easy icebreaker with anyone, especially other parents with whom you can instantly bond over sleep deprivation and milestones and all that parent-speak.Planning fun stuff (but not overdoing it)
Of course, we’ll be on vacation and want to have fun. We’re going to go to some castles and countryside adventures and all the playgrounds. But we’re also going to do naps and strolls and downtime. Sure, honey, one more episode of Mickey Mouse. We’re not going to try to fit in any London sightseeing or cross-country trips or anything big and distracting. This will be a fun vacation but also a focused trip with a purpose.Researching schools and neighborhoods
I really want to see some of the potential schools and neighborhoods we’re interested in. Part of this means I need to do some research and figure out which ones I’m interested in first. No pressure, right? (haha) But I also want to talk to some of those friends of friends and hear firsthand about the places we might like and what might be right for us.
So that’s the plan! We’re both so excited (even our older kiddo is excited!) for a big trip to England. I’m really hopeful that this will cement our decision even further and clarify some of the fuzziness, narrow down where exactly we want to move to and give us a picture of what our new life might be like.
With every step we take, the big move is feeling more and more real.
