If there’s anything the last couple of years have taught me, it’s that there’s always room for a little more adventure in life.
So when our travel plans were (quite rightly) put on hold in early 2020 and we found ourselves renting a small flat in Sheffield, I couldn’t help but feel a little lost.
After watching the mayhem of Scramble Crossing in Japan, swimming in rooftop pools in Malaysia, and island hopping in Thailand, I now found myself staring at my laptop screen for hours at a time, taking on PE with Joe as my one bit of movement for the day, and dressing up for the weekly shop to Morrisons.
And don’t get me wrong – I realize just how incredibly lucky we were to get those five amazing months of travel before the pandemic. I’m certainly not complaining, so don’t come for me! But we knew something had to change. So, thanks to our remote jobs, we’ve now been able to move into a little house in Seascale, just outside of the Lake District. And wow, what a difference it’s made.
With that said, here’s a few things I’ve learned by moving to the Lake District.
I’m sure I’ve never been on a trip to the Lakes where the sun has actually stayed out, but the weather seems to be working in our favour this time around.
The light seems to hit a little differently here, and we’ve had plenty of lovely, sunny days to soak in. Yes, it might still be -2℃ outside, but the blue skies make all the difference.
Spending 6 months walking through the city centre did nothing for me or my mind, so I promised myself I wouldn’t take anything for granted when we moved.
We’re heading out for walks every morning, whether that’s a quick stride on the beach or a stroll through the nearby woods. I don’t care if there’s icy wind hitting my cheeks or it’s chucking it down with rain – after spending months being scared to walk by myself in the city, this is a huge welcomed change.
I’ve suffered from anxiety and panic attacks since I was 16, but I never realised just how much my environment played a part in my wellbeing.
Moving to the Lake District has made me feel calmer, safer, and more comfortable in myself as a whole. The only real concern living here with a strong Yorkshire accent during a pandemic is convincing everyone I’m not a tourist!
Our old flat was made up of three rooms: a kitchen/dining/living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. This made working from home a bit of a nightmare, and made it even harder to separate our working life from our social life.
We’d chosen the flat to be nearer to the fun of the city centre, but when everything closed back down after the summer, it became a pretty expensive and useless place to live. Now, I’m delighted to say we have an upstairs (an upstairs!!!) and a garden to enjoy in the warmer months, and it’s made all the difference.
Living in the city centre next to a busy main road meant we were always hearing sirens whizzing by, police helicopters overhead at 2 am, and the occasional fight outside. Now, we’re lucky if we hear a loud car pass our house once a day.
I thought I’d miss the hustle and bustle of the city, but I definitely prefer the quiet country life- even if it does mean you occasionally sleep in while 10 am without realising.
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