Thank you for your kind replies Wayno and Omada
and thanks for the article Wayno.
I shouldn't let other people's attitudes get to me but I always have. It has always made me crazy the way Adelaide is sometimes its own worst enemy.
Yes, the world is a big and fantastic place, but I can't think of anywhere else I want my children to grow up but home in Adelaide. Omada, we have only been gone since 2006, and I guess a concern of mine is that I hadn't noticed any particular improvement in the attitude around town before we left, and I have wondered if I will land back at home, full of enthusiasm, only to find the same old hang-dog atmosphere.
But I have been reading this site with interest and have noticed how often people have said attitudes are changing, even in the last two years. I might be in for a pleasant surprise! And, come to think of it, I am complaining about others' negativity, while ignoring the pessimism in my own attitude
OK, I'll stop raving on now, apologies if I have hijacked this thread - this moving around the world stuff is doing my head in, lately.
I love Adelaide and have no worries about coming back to the city, but the thought of coming back to the Adelaide attitude is a bit depressing to me, I have to admit - after seeing how well Adelaide stacks up against many North American cities, I don't get the negativity. And I'm frustrated (like others) by the city's habit of either thinking it can't evolve, or criticising changes that are proposed. I'm feeling like I want to be part of a real change in things but I simply don't know what to do, or what I have to offer as a single and ordinary person. That's why the idea of a pro-active group, of some kind, apppeals to me. 
