It occurred to me the other day that the happy glow I have about my life at the moment is as a direct result of the internet. No not because I could theoretically buy anything in the world online and not have to move from the settee, although that would be handy if only they delivered as far as our deserted hamlet. And not because of those pictures of Anna Kournikova that arrived in my inbox either…. *ahem* 
Not at all. Its all because those crazy scientists who thought linking their research computers together was a pretty cool idea have allowed me and my family to fulfil a dream. You see, 9 months ago we moved house from Grimsby (not lovely) to France (very lovely), a move that would realistically have been impossible without the internet.
Lets look back at the process we went through.
1. Selling the house
One of the main criteria for choosing an estate agent was “How good is their website?”. Whoever would have thought that would have been an issue 10 years ago? For us it was a huge consideration as the internet is now the first place that most new home-buyers go. Gone are the days of spending your weekends trawling round estate agents. Now buyers can peruse properties at their leisure any time of the day.
Most communication with our solicitor was done through email, saving days (and thus money…) in the process. We researched house prices extensively on other websites to make sure we were always pitching ourselves at the right point for the market. Doing this manually would have taken weeks.
2. Finding the right area to live
I knew I needed to be close to airports, within easy reach from ferry ports, not too far from the sea, in a village with big towns nearby. Thank you Google Maps! By checking driving distances from various different airports I managed to find an area that was equidistant from 3 different locations. I could then zoom in and find the big towns in the area and again find somewhere in the middle of these. Zooming in further revealed the larger villages in that area, which then gave us the place for our french estate agent to look for houses.
Again, all this would have been possible manually by spreading copious maps over the dining room table, switching from one scale to another, measuring the distances, getting my fingers in a knot with compasses and rulers… not a great alternative!
3. Finding a new house
Once we had identified a region, we engaged a french estate agent to find us a house. Naturally we ensured that they had a good website with lots of good houses with images on. Of course, most communication was via email. When we came over to look round the houses, I was taking photos and videos on my phone, which could then later be emailed back to England for the family to take a look at. Back in the “olden days” we would have had to send our roll of 24 pictures off to be developed before anyone could see what we had discovered.
4. Settling into a new life
One of the most important ways of integrating into a new area has to be getting out and about into the community, and we certainly did that. But it is also important to maintain the relationships you already have, which is where the internet has now become essential. Nothing beats being able to fire up a Skype video call and chat for hours (for free!) to your friends and family. Phone calls and letters could not compare.
And how does blogging fit into all this? Well, blogging for me is a way to keep the folks “back home” up to speed with our latest news. It allows me to express my feelings in a way that I probably wouldn’t on the phone. And I can’t remember the last time I ever wrote a letter - I’m certain I have lost the ability to hold a pen after years of typing everything! And blogging has also gained me new friends from across the globe, especially those at FuelMyBlog. Many are people who I will only ever speak to online, but there are some that have become great friends in the real world too. However would I have managed to build up such a community without the power of the internet?
So, for me, the internet has allowed me to start a new life, while keeping a link to my old one. How about you, fellow fuelers? How has the internet and new communication technology changed your life? Has it allowed you to acheive some goal that would otherwise have been unattainable? Lets hear your comments.
8 Comments
The internet has changed every aspects of my life. All the points you have made in this post apply to us…in short without it I would feel totally at a loss! Great post
Great post Richard! My life has changed so much in the last few months, thanks to the Internet (and thanks to FMB). Following the wonderful adventures in Dublin, Sri Lanka, Papersurferville, Vancouver, Oregon and Tofino, the view of the Portuguese countryside from my desk (and the handsome fella beside me) brings a smile to my face every day; without the net I would never have made it from there to here!
Excellent post young Richard. When Penfold insisted that we buy a computer [about 3 years ago] I thought it would hardly get used.
We run one small business where the internet is vital, more websites than everyone here knows about - tee hee, banking, paying bills, getting the latest boxed edition of Battlestar Galactica, talking to people, etc etc ….. but most importantly FOR FLIRTING WITH GODDESSES AROUND THE WORLD!
Hi Richard,
Thanks for dropping in on France and the Unknown earlier, I’m glad we’ve got some shared experiences!
My life in France just wouldn’t be possible without the internet - I can live in the middle of nowhere, with my horses and do a normal day’s work at the office! Quite unbelievable really.
Will keep an eye on both your blogs and good luck with FMB.
Talk to you soon,
Frances
All great comments, thanks everyone. It’s very appropriate that I find myself stuck in a hotel with no high-speed internet tonight. I am therefore reliant on a very slow connection, which is almost as bad as no connection. And I feel like I have lost my right arm!
Rich, great first post. I remember the first day I got a mobile phone, no-one else had one and told me I was crazy, my first PC was similar and then I moved to the web, again the same.. Nowadays, I have the opportunity to meet in person, great people, people that without the web I would have never had the chance to meet, yeah everyone says “What..you meet them, aren’t they dirty old men posing as real people”…I smile and know that everyday, the web enables me to learn and meet outstanding people. Just like those above and leaving comments here every day. I thanks you all and raise a toast “to us on the web”!
Great post, Richard, but if your part of France is anything like ours I bet the internet wasn’t much help in dealing with all the paperwork and the French fonctionaires - eh?
Yep,
I agree. Without my internet connection I would be adrift at sea!
When I first moved here, I was on dial-up and it was so frustrating. But now I am able to keep in touch with friends…’real’ ones and ‘ether’ ones, through Skype, Facebook, blogging etc.
Love it!
Sarah
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[...] September 23, 2008 by Richard Hot off the press! I have joined the team of writers on the newly-redesigned FMB Blog and my first post, “From there to here by the power of the net” is now live [here]. [...]
[...] post info By Richard Categories: Announcements Tags: blog, community, fuelmyblog I have recently joined the team of writers on the newly-redesigned FMB Blog and my first post, “From there to here by the power of the net” is now live [here]. [...]