So I am back in London. It’s chilly, grey and today it’s raining. And to top it off TfL have stuffed up right royally this morning, Northern Line is down and the buses are packed. So I am at home waiting for madness to die down before trying again to head into work.
But all of this has me thinking. Am I a city chick or a country chick? The thing about London is that it’s a wonderful city to live in. I love London and the fast pace that it sets. But then I love getting out of London every now and then and breathing a little deeper with fresh air in my lungs. I am always amazed at how different I look in the country as well. With the sun out, I am less likely to put on makeup, I take off most of jewellery, and sometimes don't even wear a watch. To return to the city this time, almost immediately, I felt the urge to paint my nails, apply makeup and to be my city self again.
I used to find the same thing when I lived in Auckland. The weeks leading up to Christmas I would be pulling my hair out and cursing humanity and those who had waited six months since their accidents to demand getting their cars fixed before they went away on holiday. Insurance was fun in those days. I would be pining for the beach and Magical Mangawhai was within reach. And for the next week or so I would sit out in the sun with a book, walk the beach daily, maybe even swim and eat delicious food. I would always be sad to leave to head back to Auckland when the holiday was over.
But then I love the convenience of living in a big city. Everything is within reach. I love that I can get to the shops in ten minutes and that if I am ever in trouble there is a taxi on every corner. I love that in London I can see a movie at the drop of a hat and that there are plenty of restaurants to choose from.
The week before I left in NZ I visited my friend who since I left has moved to a farm. I love a good roadie so I was happy to jump in the car and head down to see her and her lovely family. When I got there it was sunny and we were able to sit outside and catch up. The kids adore living in the country, they have a small motorbike that they ride, they feed chickens, they see the cows being milked and they play in the sun all day. It was kinda nice sitting there, having eaten baking, and a pizza with eggs from the family chickens on it. Rhi is very, very happy with her life on the farm. Her husband has taken to it like a duck to water.
So now that I am back in London, with a head full of homesickness, wondering where I will go next, I am thinking, do I think about moving to the country. Should I find a job in a country town, where I can always breathe, where I will never have to feel the need to escape? Or is this just a dream? Is it only my perception from the other side of the fence? Should I save up to have a place to escape too, my own little bolt hole?
Are you a country chick or a city chick? Or are you like me, a bit of both? Do you have somewhere to escape to when it all gets a bit much?
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