I'm swapping city life for the countryside. The New Year allows for a fresh start, so this is mine. At age 23, there is social pressure to live in a city, party, be near mates etc. But as someone who grew up in the countryside, not being in nature has affected me way more than I thought it would. My brain matches my environment, so living in a city makes my brain feels like its moving at lightning pace and can't get a break. I know I'm at my happiest when I'm walking in the hills. People may tell us to do something because it worked for them. But if it's not for you, it's not for you. Looking forward to spending my 20's in the woods! Anyone here enjoying life in the countryside? 👇 🌳🌲🏕️
I did the exact same thing about 10 years ago now and felt amazing. It felt like I was on vacation the entire time with a bit of work thrown in, even tho I was working full time. I could walk alone in the mornings, I could snowboard with colleagues in winter at lunchtime, I could bike in summer after work. It was a dream and to be honest it still is. However I realized about 3 years ago that I was missing a bit of mental and visual stimulation from city life. The sheer creativity you get from walking the back streets of Brighton for example, it’s not comparable to walking the streets of Salzburg. I’d isolated myself a bit too much and all of the above became standard and I really needed a variety of people and things around me. I needed those city breaks for different stimulation and I wanted to be in the midst of it all once in a while. My holidays used to be one or two weeks going snowboarding somewhere, now they consist of visiting city’s for long weekends to get that buzz. Feeling like you are permanently on holiday is no bad thing 😎 Just remember it’s all a balance. Not just swapping one thing for another. Enjoy the countryside Jake Billsberry 🤩
Being born as a farmers son in a rural area of East Yorkshire, I had always stayed fairly close to home. However I moved to Dubai in 2008 with my wife where we stayed for 5 years. Even though it can be seen as an artificial city by a lot of people we loved our life there, and had no intentions to return home. However plans changed in 2013 when our twin boys were born, and home sickness kicked in almost over night. So we returned to our home which was a real shock to the system after living in a 24/7 city, to a Barn Conversion which in relative terms to Dubai was very isolated. We've now moved into a larger village but we both still miss our former Dubai life 9 years on, but having 2 happy boys makes it much easier to see we made the right decision 👍
It took me until my mid 40's to realise that the life I'd painstakingly built was not actually the life I really wanted, but the life others expected me to lead. I quit being an award-winning CEO (in London!) and left to go on a six month sabbatical. Life had another plan for me, and I ended up being a nomad for 14 years - it totally changed my life. So well done to you for having the courage to find and follow your own path. I documented my journey and what I learned from it and published the story just before Christmas. It's for anyone who wants to find their own true path. Can we connect? I'd like to maybe join one of your outdoor programmes one day. Best of luck x
I grew up in Paddington, as central as you can get to London and last year I made the decision to move out to Hampshire. I wanted to be closer to the sea to wild swim more often and spend time in the woods. Don’t regret the decision at all and whilst I’ve just relocated to Colombia, when I eventually come back to the UK, it won’t be to London. My mental health and body has thanked me for it!
Seven years of my childhood was spent on a Coral Island in the Persian Gulf, this had a huge effect on my family, loving the heat, sand, palm trees and for me, Arabian horses. Back in UK my parents moved us further & further into the countryside, which had its pros/cons. I had horses but never really connected with the countryside, my heart belonged to the sea, riding horses on the beach. So in my adulthood, having also moved around the country finally settled in Hove 30 years ago. Love being by the sea, don't love Brighton though, Hove is very different and slightly more quiet. Moved to Cheshire briefly for family reasons, but very quickly moved home to Hove. Cannot bear being landlocked! I'm a swimmer & my father was a Naval Officer so my love of the sea is genetic! Can't bear city life, strongly dislike London! My dream is to move to either Spain or Dubai. I'm neither a country or city person. I'm a seagirl & cyclist and proud, the sea gives me peace, calm as well as being invigorating. I've never found any of that in the countryside and certainly not in the city, even on rough sea days. Visiting family up north is great, but I can't wait to get home to the sea. My happy place. Eternally grateful 🙏
I fully agree with this decision! Having grown up in a big city (Bristol) and spent most of my life living in & amongst the noise and stresses that it caused, when I finally moved to a suburb in the north (Bingley) and spending most weekends in the Yorkshire hills, or over in the Lake District, I started to see the positive effect it had in giving my mind a break from the “daily grind” Recently been fortunate enough to have bought a house in a village on the skirts of Yorkshire with sheep theee doors away and overlooking hills from my home office - but with the retained convenience of being 15mins away from a train station that offers direct to London/Leeds/Manchester trains so can still be in the city for work & play, just more through choice! The flip in environments through this has absolutely allowed me to switch off when I chose to, to get out and walk/run/motorbike in the country but stay in touch with the modernities through work & social play when I feel needed! Good on you for discovering that early & having the courage to say “this is me and this is what Inneed for my mental health”… most of us burn out before making that discovery!
Be happy you didn't wait until you are 44 (I did). I am so content, at ease, and happy since I moved to the mountains. Then guess where I go on vacation? Other mountains 🤣😂. Personally I believe that a city isn't a place for anyone really. It seems to bring out the worst of humanity. Sure, some people manage but are they thriving? Maybe, a very select few. Is no different than school; it is suitable for a very select few. The rest suffer greatly. I salute you for being honest enough with yourself at a young age to follow your heart.
I loved to North Wales from Reading 3 years ago and the best thing I have done for my health and well-being for such a long time. I grew up rurally and moving to a city was great in some ways and sapping in others Easy access to the sea, forest and mountains is amazing.
Founder. On a mission to connect people in nature.
1yOver 1.5 million people have read this post! Clearly the outdoors has struck a cord.... 🙌🌳💚