Reflections on a year in Thornbury

For Babyari newcomers who might be confused, we have lived in Thornbury for a year despite the fact this blog is called Little Prince of Collingwood.
I won't change it, because as far as I'm concerned, Ari will always be the LP of Collingwood, no matter where he lives.
Now, how to sum up a year in our (not so) new digs? The short answer is that it's been great, but really bloody hard.
On the great side, our house is modern and comfy, with all the mod cons. We have lovely neighbours, a nice backyard, great food markets nearby, excellent playgrounds and my sister living nearby.
On the down side, I STILL miss our old house and our old suburb. It's hard to believe you can still have a painful pang in your heart when you pass your old street, but it still happens to me. I'm a city gal and I loved living so close to so many wonderful things. I felt part of the world, even though motherhood had put me slightly out of it.
I ran into a woman at a party recently who used to live a street away from me in Collingwood for years - she said it took her three or four years to get over her move to leafy Hawthorn. Only people who have lived in the village-like enclave in Collingwood will understand how great it is.
But...as Metallica says...time marches on. And so must we. Who knows where we will be in a year's time?