Moving house and planning a garden

It’s July now, my lease is up in October and frankly I can’t wait to get out of the city.  It was right to move here last year when I was dreaming of cocktails on roof terraces, walking to work and seeing friends in the evenings, but now I’m yearning for a quieter life outside of the city.  My feet are getting itchy again (as always).

Summer garden

I know I flip-flop quite a lot between the different ends of the spectrum – a city life with al fresco wine, blogging events and hopping on the train to London; and now the good life, with chickens, a vegetable patch and only the sound of birds singing to wake me up in the morning.  I’ve enjoyed being in the city but I find it hard to live somewhere with no outside space during this heatwave – I’m daydreaming of lying on a blanket in a back garden with a good book and a glass of wine on a summer’s evening.  As much as I try and live in the present and enjoy what I have now, I can’t help myself from mentally planning to plant a wildflower patch and string fairy lights from the trees (you can browse the range* here if you’re hunting for pretty lights for your garden too).  I am worried that it could be a bit isolating to live somewhere quiet but I know that I’ve always got friends and family I can visit if I need to escape my own company.

I’ve been spending more time at my parents’ house lately, especially at the weekends when I can stay over, sleep with the windows open and wake up to the dawn chorus.  In contrast, where I am now if I sleep with the windows open all I hear is the sound of lorries going past and men chanting ‘football’s coming home!’ I’m finding myself spending as much time outdoors as possible at the moment; going out for walks, paddle-boarding and running in the mornings.  Whilst it’s still nice to run around the parks and be able to walk to the gym I would like to live somewhere in future that is more in keeping with my hobbies, and the older I get the more drawn I am to outdoors-y activities (of course it would be nice to have someone to do those activities with, but that will come in time).

Cottage in Cricklade

It’s strange how your priorities change over time – and the things you’re drawn to evolve and flex.  When I was living somewhere quite rural a few years ago I felt incredibly lonely, the commute was too long and I missed my family like mad.  Now I’m in the city I’m finding the traffic and the noise draining, and I think I didn’t appreciate enough what I had on my doorstep all those years ago (I used to sometimes be late for work because cows were crossing the road – that feels like a dream to me now).  I’ve always wished that I was a little better at sticking to decisions, a little clearer on what I want and a whole lot better and being present and enjoying what I have now.  But for now, I’m going to close the window to drown out the police sirens and dream of tomato plants, wildflowers, climbing roses and fairy lights.

*This post contains a collaborative link.