The Abode of peace

Back in the Abode of peace.
Two things make you really appreciate what you have or rather, where you live: having visitors and going away.
I was really ready to go away for a bit now. I needed a bit of a break from Brunei and the "bubble" that is our life here, on a bad day.
Coming back, is always nice! We have a good life here.

I usually say, and that is from quite a bit of experience of living in different places and countries - there IS no perfect place. You always have to sacrifice something.
Let it be the weather - who honestly likes to live in Scandinavia now for example, after months of cold and snow, without longing for spring and sunshine at all?
Let it be the lifestyle - if you want to live in the center of a capital f.e, be prepared to have to live in a smaller house than if you were in the countryside.
Let it be family & friends - you can't bring everybody along wherever you move unfortunately.
Let it be choice - living where we are f.e, there is a lot of things we can't get, especially grocery wise. You have no choice, you just have to make do with what there is.
Let it be roots - living like we do, where will our kids feel that they "come from"? Will they have roots somewhere at all, or just become citizens of the world?

Yes, you always have to sacrifice something; and if you focus on everything you miss, can't get or can't do - you will be miserable wherever you are.
As I said, having visitors and going away for a bit really makes me appreciate the good things though! Visitors always makes me see this place with fresh eyes and really just see all the positive things with living here; and going to other places makes me happy that we live where we do too!
There are bad things with all places, but here they are (for now, don't get me wrong, I have no intention of staying here forever though!) well overshadowed by the good things.

We have a good life here. We just need to remind ourselves of that on days that it all feels a bit gloomy and far away from home.
Like now, after coming back from a busy long (and fab!) weekend in the noise, fog and commotion of Hong Kong - I'm back to appreciating the Abode, of peace.