Choosing your best life
I’ve been reading a lot lately, partly a decision made for me as we’ve completely gone off the grid since we moved but what ever the reason, picking up a book seemed like the best form of quiet entertainment.
You see, we didn’t count on being completely off the grid when we moved, more - let’s move further out into the countryside where the signal is poor and we can live a quieter, calmer life. (but with access to 4G, signal and on the following Wednesday - Wi-Fi) 6 days seemed enough ‘quiet’ time to get used to our surrounding and really settle ourselves in.
Our new home is idyllic, for us anyway, just the right kind of quaint english countryside mixed with a wonderful community spirit. There’s a park just a short walk past the cobbled road outside our house and if we walk the other way, a stream that runs into the woods.
For the first week after unpacking we went on adventures, we woke to the sound of the geese flying overhead to the nearest pond and heard the woodpecker, mostly pecking wood, but occasionally a drainpipe, which made us laugh!
We chose this place, because we needed it. We longed for the quiet and the calm. For only 3 cars to go by every hour, for the kids to have physical freedom and learn a little more resilience and figure out more of their own stuff and for creativity.
At first it was magical, and then without the internet or signal or 4G I found it increasingly difficult to pick up the pattern of work I was used to. I remembered that I really love our work and wanted to share more with you all, but was restricted without our usual mod cons. What a paradox that after all this time of dreaming I lived out in the sticks.. .I really did miss my additional internet community too. On an evening for half an hour you will find both James and I huddled up in one windowsill trying to find the tiniest bit of internet to play with!
As a mum and business owner I need to work around the kids, early mornings and into the evenings. I felt guilty and shamed when my phone used to tell me I was averaging 5 hours a day of usage BUT that was how I managed my work when I couldn’t be physically IN work.
Saying that though we have all found other things to keep ourselves occupied or indeed, relaxed without it. James and I have been spending our evenings in front of the fire reading or listening to vinyl records , that smell of woodsmoke literally eases my bones. We chat about the day and are sleeping much more deeply. We bought a new coffee pot and enjoy taking time grinding the beans and filling the house with that morning coffee smell. Margot has been either playing with her toys more, (this week a cardboard box I cut a door and window holes in), looking out of the window at all the birds, or watching the only 3 DVD’s we have in the house on repeat. At least we all know EVERY SINGLE SONG on the little mermaid soundtrack. The boys have been playing at the park or have been enjoying exploring new places on foot and discovering old broken down mills and imagining what life could have been like in our old mill village. Another huge added bonus is we have great friends on our doorstep and feel like we have more of a family community up here with shared cups of tea, pizza evenings and dog walks. The dog has had more love these past two weeks than ever before!
Another week has rolled by and we’re in the eve of the big BT ON button being pressed. That’s what I imagine is happening anyway because it sure has nothing to do with an engineer hanging up the nearest telegraph pole! I’m a bit unsure how I feel about it. Of course being reconnected will be super useful.. but we are keen to keep some of the slower living firmly in place. We need this, we crave this kind of life and we really did choose to live it, so best to embrace it!
Do you ever dream of being disconnected from the whirling world? What would be the first thing you would do if you did? and what would you miss the most?
There’s one thing for certain, we will be sharing more of our new quiet life with you as soon as we can! Thanks so much for being patient with us while we are setting ourselves back up!
Jo x
