ruralization

In recent months we have heard desperate stories of confinement in large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. As a consequence, some people talk about seeking quality of life in less populated areas. Teleworking has taken over and is here to stay. There is talk of ruralization .

Landscapes of the Segovian countryside. Cairn of the current road SGP-2322

Many people tell me that they would love to live in the country. Encantaria , simple post-preterite conditional word that comes to express a hypothetical action in the present or in the future. This suggests to me that the chances of them doing so are slim. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not a girl anymore, and experience has taught me that those who do things do them and then tell them. I understand that it does not seem like an easy choice if you have made your life in the city, but if you really want it, it is possible. It is never too late to chase and achieve your dreams. Meanwhile, you live off the illusion that your preparation generates.

The vegetables from the garden are a delicacy.

From said to done

Our particular story began with the enjoyment of a little house on the weekend. We would arrive on Friday afternoon and return to Madrid on Sunday afternoon. Sunday would arrive and we thought, “how lazy to go back to Madrid, with how comfortable we are here.” The long traffic jams at rush hour forced us to reconsider our schedules. To avoid a traffic jam at the exit and enjoy Friday afternoon, we would leave on Friday morning. We soon decided to return first thing Monday morning. In this way we avoided breaking the calm rhythm of Sunday and stretched out as much as possible the enjoyment of what was becoming clear that it was our true home. It was already decided.

Summer walks. View of blinded meadow and dovecote

It was not only packing up and moving house, but also restructuring everything that was our life at that time. It was a thoughtful and conscientious change. Less consumption, less unwanted information, less processed food, less medicines. A change of habits made quietly... little by little, towards a good diet, a healthy life and transformation on a personal level.

We abandoned many habits that we had daily in the city and we realized that they were totally expendable. I learned to listen to my body, to dedicate myself more to the little things that make me happy and to define myself as a person.

Some throw their hands up when I tell them that there are no problems in terms of schools, doctors or shopping... "Everything is too far away" , they tell me. We may have a little more distance to a medical center but it is reached without a traffic light on the road. Throughout the province we have an excellent health system and a health center that comes to visit once a week, 24-hour emergencies in a nearby town.

My gardens allow me to enjoy preparing bouquets to place at home and in the store.

Shopping in the nearby towns is marvelous both in terms of the views along the promenade and the quiet conversation with the local producers and vendors, without rushing and without traffic jams. For me it is priceless.

Public schools are in nearby towns where it takes a short time to get there without traffic jams and without parking problems to leave your children. There is also a school bus service. If you opt for private education, you can find it in the nearest capital.

In the winter months, the wood oven does not stop working.

Check list

For those who are considering changing their lives, here is a list of essential things to consider, all based on our experience:

• Having a partner or companion with similar desires or concerns. As in any project, the support of partners is key. Both Pablo and I are lucky to complement each other and adapt to country life without problems. The field gives us creativity and perspective to develop our work, and discover hidden passions together. Developing them together has given us the opportunity to continue enriching ourselves with a country life that never stops teaching you.
  
  
• Consider what you are going to leave behind. The truth is that it didn't take us long to leave the city to come and live in the country. When you have only been there for a few hours, you begin to realize and perceive the long-awaited silence, the pure air that you breathe and finally, no light pollution. I find true luxury in the sensations they give you and the three together are a dream.
  
  
• Imagine all the aspects of the future that awaits you: economy, children's education, social life...
  
  
• The changes entail adaptations of behavior and times, customs. We are human beings and like any natural process, we must get used to the new environment that surrounds us.
  
  
• Perform a measured transition. Try before with a vacation, a few months, etc. For us, weekends became three days, then four, and soon we were spending more time at our second home.
  
  
• Leave the doors open . Have the ability to celebrate the success, or rectify the mistake.
  
  
• Respect the customs and operation of the place. Learn about the "mechanics" of the place to facilitate integration. We have to get used to the place and not the place to us, so we must take into account that some customs have no place in our new environment. This way you enjoy the experience more.
  
  
• It is essential to have your own vehicle.
  
  
• It is essential to have a fast internet connection.
  
  
• Disconnect. Currently it is very difficult, but it is possible. A television or microwave has never entered our country house. I consider current television an invasive trap that, without realizing it, contaminates us.

Old way Bridge Mass

you have to like this

Those of us who live in the countryside love it, and we keep its benefits. Today my life revolves around a decision I made with my husband 20 years ago. A decision that, in addition, promoted this project. If I had to define a perfect moment in the countryside, this could be planting bulbs in my garden with my husband and my cats, enjoying the silence and the aromas of freshly baked bread and the fireplace. In summer I love coming home, having a cold beer while I prepare a salad with vegetables from my garden. At the moment there is quality of life and place for everyone. I encourage those of you who are considering it.