For so much of my life I was a town girl and loved it but then my dad bought a house in the South West of France, right in the middle of nowhere. It was an amazing place to holiday as the scenery was just so beautiful. Then, when I was 16 my dad moved over there permanently, giving me the opportunity to actually sample proper country living as opposed to the snippet of such a lifestyle during a holiday. It is safe to say that it was the binary opposite of living in a town or city.
Peace and Solitude
One of the best things about living in the country and what makes my dad’s French abode one of my favourite places on the planet is the fact that you find yourself surrounded by nature. There is literally no escape from it. None of this bit of foliage draping from a hanging basket. Oh no, we’re talking green fields stretching for miles, lanes lined by trees, even the roads were almost conquered almost completely by nature by being, in places, mud roads. Being out in the middle of nowhere means no hustle and bustle, no rushing anywhere and that soundless environment is ultimate bliss. Another thing that I found about my dad’s house is the prospect of minimal human contact. When I was younger this used to drive me stir crazy, I thought after a few days that I was going insane only having a handful of people to communicate with each day face to face. However, this is something that I have grown to love over the years. It forces you to accept and love your own company and amuse yourself as well as appreciate those around you so much more. Being in one house for a few days I found myself bickering mercilessly with my sister but after a walk and a calm down there was no other option than to go back to the house and make up. As all good siblings do…most of the time.
(a walk in this beautiful environment is always enough to make the biggest stresses go away)
No Rush and a Difference in Culture
I feel like these two topics go hand in hand. I felt that the absence of the need to rush around and complete all errands as quickly as possible was down to the difference of culture in France as even in the English country side there is still an essence of urgency to get everything done and be back in time for tea. In the South West of France it is almost like there is a difference in time. “I’m nipping out for an hour” at eleven am could quite easily translate to “I’m going out, leave my tea on a plate in the oven tonight”. Running errands also translates to getting drunk or fat or both with your friends. You may only being going round to drop off a birthday card but they may also have friends over. Even if you do not know those friends you soon will! With no pressure to get jobs done that are not desperate you find yourself naturally socialising as there is no awkward quick conversation of how they have friends over and thank you for the card. Instead you’re welcomed in to the party with open arms! It’s fab! However, going French for a while does not mean that you’re lazy. Official and urgent deadlines do get done and I am inclined to believe that these are easily completed with minimal stress due to the fact that stress is taken away from menial tasks and errands. A major plus side of living in a relaxed and pressure free atmosphere.
Isolation
Living in a place that is so isolated, despite the many endearing qualities can sometimes be very hard and lonely. Shopping, day trips and just ‘nipping out’ for the odd bit is not so easy and spontaneity is almost non-existent. Forgetting little things, especially luxuries such as sweet treats off the shopping list is one of the most heart wrenching experiences as it had to wait until the next food shop as it is not worth the forty five minuet drive to the nearest super market just for that bar of chocolate you wanted after your tea. Furthermore, it can sometimes feel like things need to be planned like a military operation when all you want to do is go and buy a pretty new sun dress for a garden party coming up and or maybe go and have a day out somewhere with your family. Two of my favourite days out in France however have to be visiting the man-made beach in Limoges and shopping and the Aquarium in La Rochelle. My love of the man-made beach in Limoges is, as odd as it sounds, because I hate normal beaches. Sand gets where it shouldn’t, you walk to the sea to get your feet clean and they’re dirty again in 30 seconds and you can’t wear shoes due to sand sneaking in but you can’t go barefoot due to the sand burning your precious tootsies. Anyway, getting off topic here. I love this beach because there is not a lot of sand. Just enough to humour people who want bit of a beach day. The seating area is predominantly grass area which is a lot easier to deal with! For me anyway. Not only this but it has play parks, life guards and kayaks to hire. All in all, it is just an amazing place to spend time with your family and relax for the day. As for La Rochelle, I originally fell in love with all the boutique shops and fabulous ice cream stalls as well as the amazing places to eat but then one day we stumbled across the Aquarium. Well, we always knew it was there but never actually went in it for a long time and I fell in love with it. Again, like Limoges it is just a fabulous family day out.
Weather and Travelling
Even when flying into the closest airport, it is still a two hour drive to my dad’s house and if we have driven across from England then it is…well…a bit more than a couple of hours drive. But it is one of my favourite parts. Listening to music or chatting and just watching the scenery fly by you. Everything is (usually) so clear and it just makes travelling a bit more enjoyable and even when just going for your weekly shop, travelling is an essential part of living in the country. The beautiful scenery also forces you to look on the bright side of everything. When the environment is so beautiful it is impossible not to see how beautiful your life actually is. Stresses, worries, anxieties, angers…they all melt away into the miles of bright yellow sun flowers, the rows of trees and fly off with the majestic birds of prey that prowl above you.
Communication with the Outside World
French countryside has awful phone signal around the house. There is really no two ways about it thus meaning the only communication with the outside world or back home in England is through the wifi. Out and about away from the house renders your phone only useful for taking pictures or listening to music. It is expensive to text anyone whether they be in the UK, France or Timbuktu meaning 3G (or 4G if that’s what tickles your pickle) would be even more so. The good thing about this restriction on communication and reliance on technology is that you really cherish those you’re out with and what you’re doing with them. There is no notification to steal your attention away from the precious beings that are right in front of you and oh so worthy of every bit of attention you can give them.
(sometimes there is only your shadow to talk to)
Freedom and Friendliness
Of course I am familiar with all the connotations that are related to the countryside in relation to horror films. Of course they were a worry to my younger self. But then I realised I was being silly and that is when I was able to really start being able to enjoy living in the countryside. My sister and I have so much freedom, we sometimes feel slightly overwhelmed. The house sits on the N10, one of the main roads in France, specifically the region we live in but yet maybe a dozen cars go down the road daily, if we are lucky meaning we are free to wander, run, skip, cartwheel with minimal danger. Not only this, but apart from out single neighbour across the road, the nearest village either way around roughly a mile away. This simply adds to our freedom, especially with friends over, the only people we can annoy are our parents! Being in the house all the time can sometimes prove pretty straining in terms of brain cells as there are only so many walls you can look at. When this happens I simply whisk myself off for a leisurely stroll which sometimes can happen without seeing anyone which is both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes all you want is to just be with me, myself and I and your thoughts but sometimes it can also remind you just how far away you are from society and other, fellow humans. But, if by chance you do bump into someone, there are always so lovely and friendly as if they know you personally. One memory that always sticks out to me is when we were out and missing some English comforts so we went for a subway. The language barrier was VERY evident (this was when we were still holidaying and learning!) but we did know “How do you say” so for a good half an hour we were amusing the workers and they were amusing us as we pointed and broadened our language knowledge. They were more than happy to help us and not offended by our lack of French at all simply because we were at least trying.
After living in a town, city and the countryside it is definitely hard to conclude and pick a favourite. Despite my dad’s house being one of my favourite places on the planet I am not sure if I could live full time in such isolation and silence. Although in an argument I am known for not shutting up even when I have nothing valid to say, there does come a time when I annoy even myself. However, it is the perfect place to attempt to relax, rewind, re charge and disengage from technology slightly. As a blogger, student and well, teenager, I can sometimes find it hard to put the technology down but I have found that those days where it has not been possible to connect to the internet have been the best. Not every inbox, status and Instagram are that important and sometimes it takes it being inaccessible for us to realise that and realise that the funny things that come out of your sisters mouth or the prank your dad just pulled doesn’t really need to go on social media. Just enjoy the moments for yourself. Live in reality as opposed to on the World Wide Web. So although I enjoy coming back to the liveliness of the city, the country side will always hold a very special place in my heart.
(living in the country had us literally jumping for joy)
Ta Ta for now!
Em x