Hopes and Dreams

It had been our dream to move to the coast for the longest time (well it certainly felt like a long time) and on the 12th February 2017 we finally fulfilled that ambition. Many people, before and since our relocation have asked us why we wanted to make such a huge move. We ask those people to come and visit for a while, to experience it first hand, once they have they totally understand!

But this isn't a blog post to talk about why living coastally has changed our lives, but there’s no denying that it has had a massive impact on all three of us. It’s a post about what do you do when you have fulfilled your dream. What when you have a great whacking hole where your ambition and drive used to flourish are you supposed to do? This has been bothering me for a while (18 months to be a bit more precise). On the one hand I know I should be deliriously happy that I have achieved something many others would love to but haven’t. I don’t necessarily mean moving to the coast, but more in the sense of achieving a huge life goal, creating a vision for your life and sticking with the plan to see it through to fruition. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be happier about this, I really truly am so grateful for the life we have here.

But I can’t help feeling I have lost a little spark. I am naturally a motivated person, someone with a lot of drive and intention, I genuinely do believe the world is our oyster for the taking, but now what? Some people are completely happy going about their daily business without any carrot on a stick to motivate them along, that’s not me unfortunately. I need a prize at the end, something to make it all worthwhile. Or at the very least something to work towards.

So I have been thinking about what this could be, I don’t want to move home again. We live in a holiday destination so I don’t feel the need for a 'proper' abroad holiday, I found the last one so stressful and I’m more than happy with walking to our local beach. The irony of all of this is I’m not very materialistic, I don’t need or even want things, or stuff and I genuinely feel content with sandy toes, a good book and a long walk. When I write about the virtues of the slow simple life, I really do believe in them. I just want to grow my own vegetables and flowers, make jam and watch a sunrise over the ocean. All of which I can have currently.

 

I needed to think of something that would motivate me but also compliment and enhance the slow living ethos. It’s been a really tricky one, but I think I have finally come up with some possible options. I am only going to pick one for now, I just need to decide which one and would love your opinion.

The first is a camper van. I don’t want a fancy new one, I want an older style with a bit of character. I don’t even really mind if it’s not a VW or very big, but I want something that’s been loved by someone. That we can take on family picnics and weekends away and enjoy more of the outdoor life together that we love.

The second is a bit of a biggie and slightly mad. We live really close to the sea and not far away (walking distance) there are some lovely holiday chalets in the dunes. You can’t live in them all year around but you can visit during the day out of season and sleep in them during the warmer months. They are really only glorified beach huts, but they are a bit bigger, most have a separate bedroom with a bathroom and a small kitchen. They also have stunning views of the ocean and St. Ives. I know a few people who own them to rent them out for the summer, but I would want it for us to use as a summer home to migrate (a mile) round the coast to and maybe for family and friends to stay in when they visit us. I would love somewhere to escape to for rest and relaxation, even if it is only for a bbq or a cup of tea!

Oh and there is a third thing, but it's probably going to be harder to attain than either of the above, I would dearly love an allotment! I have a tiny garden that we love but I would really like an allotment for growing fruits, vegetables and flowers to cut for home. I am on the waiting list, currently no 42. So I think it may coincide nicely with retirement (not that I have any plans to retire!)

What do you think? Which would you go for, camper, chalet, both? Or neither? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I have also been greatly inspired by the Happyfullist and it's creator Gabriella Munro Douglas, who recommends focussing on a list of smaller goals that you can tick off as you go along, a few from Gabi's list are:

- learn to make bread⠀
- become a member of a museum⠀
- create my own delicious granola⠀
- paddleboard down the Thames 

They all sound lovely don't they? So alongside this bigger project I am also going to be working upon a list of little things, which I will definitely share!