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J
Just Said Yes July 2020

Disagree over where to live

John, on August 27, 2020 at 10:45 PM Posted in Family and Relationships 0 13
My wife and I just recently got married in July. We had been together for about a year and a half before the wedding and had both agreed that we would move away from the town welhere we met at some point after we got married. Our reasons for moving were numerous, but the main reason was to move to a larger metropolitan area.



On our honeymoon, I found out that I had an interview for a position in a larger metro area, about an hour away from some of her family. I ultimately was offered the job and we were both elated to move to the new city.
My wife was interested in living in the same town as her family, but I really do don't like the town much and it wasn't the larger city we had talked about moving to. It was very similar to the city we just left. Qe decided qe didn't want to buy in the new city yet and are instead staying with her family in the town I didnt really want to move to. I'm fone with our setup temporarily while we search for a house to buy in the larger city, but my wife now is saying she thinks we should just buy a house in our current town where her family lives.
I have explained that I really don't want to live in that town, and we had both agreed that it would only be temporary until we found a place in the larger city. But now I feel a little betrayed because she doesn't feel the same anymore, or perhaps never did. Part of why we decided to move to this particular city was to be closer to her family. Bit now that we're in the same town as them, she doesn't want to move away.
For context and fairness, here are a few things to note:
1) She is working in our current town, with her family, at least for the next 6 months to a year. She may have an opportunity to work in the larger city later down the line, buts thats unknown. One of us is going to have a 40 minute commute. There aren't really any towns in between the two that would work as a compromise.
2) The smaller town with her family is cheaper. Our money will go farther there than in the larger city, which she is concerned about.
3) The state we moved to was high on our list, but it wasn't my top choice. I wanted to move to a different state, which we initially started to look for jobs in, but my wife decided that she wanted to be closer to her family in a different state. I liked that state too, but it was probably my second or third choice.
4) I like her family quite a bit, bit I'd like to live in different town than them. We would be really close to come and visit and vice/versa, but I think a little bit of healthy separation is a good thing. Even though this town is fairly new to both of us, it already feels like we moved into her family's life style/pace, as olposed to exploring our new location on our own and discovering it for ourselves. Again, I like her family, but I'm a little apprehensive about how much we may be hanging out with them since we will be in the same town.
I don't want to be selfish, but I feel lost with all of this. I accepted the job with the idea that we would be living in the larger city and getting the change of pace from the town where we met. I've never lived in larger city and have wanted to have that experience for several years now.
My wife wanted to move closer to family, so it seemed like a win-win. We moved to the same town as her family under the idea that it would be temporary. Now that we're are here and living with her family, she wants to buy a house here and not move to the larger city. I don't want a commute (but neither does she), and I really don't want to live in the town we are currently in.
I dont know what to do or how to approach this. My wife knows how I feel about living here and that I wanted to move to the bigger city to begin with. She thinks I'm not being open minded enough and that we will save money by staying in the same town as her family (which we will). Had I known this would be such an issue, I might not have accepted the job.
I don't know what to do or how I can compromise so that we can both be happy.

13 Comments

Latest activity by kahlcara, on August 28, 2020 at 8:50 PM
  • Mrs. Spring
    Master April 2021
    Mrs. Spring ·
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    Why Aren't There any towns in between the two that would work as a compromise? Theres seriously little to no real estate in between the town and big city?



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  • Katie
    Expert January 2021
    Katie ·
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    It’s not ideal, but maybe you can sit down and agree upon a city and restart your job search focusing on that area?
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  • Yasmine
    Master October 2020
    Yasmine ·
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    You can’t move anywhere in between the two as a compromise? Or someone can’t look for a new position somewhere?
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  • Marcia
    Expert March 2021
    Marcia ·
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    I think she needs to stick to her end of the compromise and live in the city for a year (or another defined period of time) before you decide. As someone who wouldn't want to live in the same town as their in-laws, I feel you. She may have different feelings now than she did when you guys talked about things, but she needs to folliw through on what she said.


    Of course, I wouldn't approach it the way I wrote above to her. I think you should outlibe her wants and your wants, and then propose a compromise to sign a 1 year lease either in the city or closer. Let her know that you are excited to look at a town in her family's area in the future. Not sure if you have to say you don't want to be in their town yet. Buying a house is the nail in the coffin of a chance to try out the city. Ask her to give you that experience just once as newlyweds.
    I'm assuming you commute now? It's her turn.you did some time near her job, now it's tine to switch.
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  • M
    Master October 2021
    Mrs.a ·
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    If you can’t get on the same page about what you want and about she wants, I think the best thing to do is to choose a Neutral location in between so that’s it’s settled and neutral for both of you. It is important that you each get on the same page with this.

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  • Givemeallthepups
    Expert February 2020
    Givemeallthepups ·
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    I would probably seek out a marriage counselor to help navigate this and reach a compromise that works for both of you.

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  • Margaret
    Master October 2020
    Margaret ·
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    I think many have noted this, but you definitely need to talk this out with her and get on the same page. Like you, I could never live in the same town as my ILs and honestly I wouldn't. There has to be a compromise that is fair to the both of you. Whether it's to stay where you are for a defined period of time or to move to the city for a defined period of time.

    I'm from a small town and I can tell you I NEEDED to live in a big city and experience that, I appreciate a smaller town, but I will always be a big city girl and in a perfect world with lots of money, my FH and I would settle in a big city.

    I think you deserve the chance to try out a "big city" lifestyle if for no other reason than to determine if that's the long-term lifestyle that you want to raise a family in. If you're just going to be a young married couple for awhile, then city life is definitely a good opportunity. If you're planning to start a family sooner rather than later, you may want to consider the suburbs somewhere.

    At the end of the day, a conversation 1:1 is the only way to get through this.

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  • Julie
    VIP February 2020
    Julie ·
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    So I grew up in larger metropolitan areas (DC) and currently right outside Baltimore city lines. It still takes me 30 minutes (on a good day) to commute because of all the traffic in the city and other commuters. I don't know how large your city is, but 40 minutes doesn't seem like a horrid commute. I also miss being near my family (we moved further away for his job). That being said she needs to honor her commitment. Even if you do rent for a year. It's important that she follow through. Especially since you made such a huge decision (ie taking a new job) because she agreed. Compromise is important, but she's not even budging based on your post.
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  • Molly
    VIP September 2020
    Molly ·
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    I would commute for a while and try to show her the perks of living in the bigger city.

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  • Hanna
    VIP June 2019
    Hanna ·
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    I would try couples counseling to reach some kind of agreement. But I also have to say (and maybe put it into perspective) that I'm super envious of people with commutes as short as 40 minutes! I've lived in places before where my daily commute was was well over an hour each way, and while annoying, it was something that most people in the city had to face. My husband's current daily commute to his office is roughly an hour, even though it's less than 10 miles away from our apartment! That's life in the big city....but anyway, I'd recommend meeting with some kind of couple's counselor

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  • Angel
    Expert August 2020
    Angel ·
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    It's not fair for her to go back on your guys' decision after you took a job with the understanding that you'd be moving there. That's not cool. You definitely need to sit down with her and explain you wouldn't have taken that job if she said what she's saying now. If she already agreed to move there with you, and understood that you didn't/don't want to live in the town her family's in, then she needs to compromise.

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  • VIP August 2020
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    I have the same question. I have never been anywhere that as soon as you exit city limits, there is nothing, but also there's a small town with homes available 40 minutes away.

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  • kahlcara
    Master August 2013
    kahlcara ·
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    Couple thoughts: being in the same town as your wife's family doesn't mean you need to live their lifestyle or hang out with them all the time. We lived in the same city as my in-laws for 4 years and we now live in my hometown after buying a house here last year. When we lived in the city, my in-laws were 15 minutes away and now my parents are about 10-15 minutes away. It's nice in that if my dog is being a brat, I can call my mom and set up a doggy playdate real quick, and it's easy to get over there (when there's not construction) but it's not like we're chilling with them every day. We usually only see them every couple weeks or so, and sometimes that means taking the dogs for a walk for an hour and that's it. Even though we're in the same town as my parents, we definitely don't live the same lifestyle. I think you guys need to have a calm conversation about the actual issues (lifestyle choices and commute) without attacking her family or either of you digging in, and renting in the city for a year is a good way to try out a different lifestyle!

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