Looking for a bit of advice, maybe this isn't the right place as it's more life advice than teaching advice but anyway...

I currently work in a school I love (staff, pupils, ethos, facilities, the whole lot), I have a permanent contract but it's school paid not CID. CID is based on seniority and there's about 15 people who'll be ahead of me in that queue.

My main issue is that the school is in Dublin and I no longer feel that I can afford to live here. I currently live in a house share and I feel like my life is stagnating in student-hood. I'm 31 and on pay scale 6 but I'm single so buying a house/apartment in Dublin is more or less out of the question. I could potentially buy a house in a commuter town but don't think that I could afford and mortgage and fuel costs associated with a commute.

The natural conclusion then seems to be to look for work outside Dublin but I worry about leaving a job I love. Any of my friends who left in the last few years really miss it. And then of course, the chances of my landing a permanent contract elsewhere are very low, so I could be leaving a job I love just to find myself looking again this time next year. And of course this is adding years to the mortgage process.

My rent is cheap, but my living situation upsets me daily at this point and the cost of living has gotten so high that I no longer even feel like I'm able to take advantage of living in the capital. I never meant to settle in Dublin, I just fell into this job and I'm so happy with it, but I also feel a bit trapped by it.

Anybody in a similar situation? I'm even just interested to hear people's thoughts...