It will sound like a cliche but it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference. Like when you fully understand what it means ” Slow Living Lifestyle”
I have lived in London for 11 years and always struggled to get the quality of life I truly wished for.
A month ago I moved to the countryside not just to get a better quality of life and reconnect with nature but also to embrace a more sustainable slow living and I’m loving it more and more every day. It’s been only a month but so much has happened.
Let me start with a short recap of what we went through trying to find a flat in London and how I believe this house found us in the end.
The last 6 weeks in London
Was one of the most stressful periods of my life. Knowing that our lease is ending within weeks and with the renters market being a bidding war ( not Kidding ). My anxiety was over the roof. I was looking at Zoopla and all the sides by every 30 minutes receiving at least 15-50 emails with new listings daily were taking up pretty much all my energy. We went on viewings after viewings but within two years the prices tripled compared to what it was before. And if you think that it’s still first to come first when you submit an application, let me give you a short summary of what it’s like to apply for a property.
If you are self-employed that’s already put you behind other applicants. The asking price is just to say something you have to offer more or someone else will do. On average if you find a decent not necessarily nice property you have at least 8-15 other people applying for it. Some of them pay full rent in advance. And!!!!! even if you get accepted, the landlord still can change his mind. Just because he wants to have two Jung girls as a neighbor… Jep it happened.
So the day come we had to move out but didn’t find a house. So we put everything in storage and went to stay with friends for a week to figure out what we going to do. When I say our future changes day or sometimes by the hour I’m not exaggerating. We were even considering moving back to Hungary for a few months. But ended up booking a hotel for 3 weeks near MK to see what can we find around here.
Getting the first taste of a slower pase life
While continuing the search for a new so-called “home” I couldn’t help feeling I’m on holiday. Staying in a hotel ordering takeout or just going downstairs for breakfast was a nice change. Exploring the countryside and seeing so much wildlife was shockingly nice. I really enjoyed that I get to see the sunset & sunrise without a city skyline. And it started to settle in that I can really enjoy this lifestyle. Each day started to feel less like a sacrifice and more like a gift, or guidance putting me on the right path.
But in the back of my mind was still that worry of not knowing what will happen after these 3 weeks. We got accepted for a stunning 3-bedroom house. It had a huge garden and American-style kitchen but that was just the first step. I’m not going to keep it a secret the price for that house was 1450/month. You won’t get a decent two-bedroom in London at the moment for that price. But as I got to understand now that flat was just not men to us as the landlord started to act a bit unpredictable and we ended up not signing for that house.
So we get to the last week and we back again not knowing where we going to move to next Saturday. We came across this listing that was just posted an hour ago. So, called the agent and scheduled a booking for the same day. We were starting to get desperate at this point. But who wouldn’t be? I had a list in my mind of what I like to have in the next place we move in.
- Lot’s of good natural lights
- dishwasher
- a full-size fridge
- at least two bedroom
- a garden or balcony
- a nice view
Well, this cottage was lucking some of those things but something about that just felt right. I saw so many characters and ideas on how I can decorate and the price… I never pay that little for rent in London. NEVER SINCE I MOVED THERE.
My First months in the Country side – Slow living lifestyle
If you ever moved to a totally new place you know that it takes a bit of getting used to it. I heard somewhere that you need to spend at least 6months in a place to really start feeling at home. I never really felt at home at my previous apartment and it’s still so surreal I feel more at home here just after a month than in the place I lived in the past two years. Every time when I look out of my window I see nature when I leave the house people say hello and smile. I have to walk 5 minutes to get on a trail across fields and forests. And I see deer & rabbits every day. It feels like I moved into a freaking Disney movie 😀 I get so excited about all the little things that my friend ask me the other day when she was visiting if I had ever been to the countryside 😀
Not to mention I have what feels like the best neighbor ever. In London most of the time I don’t even know my neighbors. Not go for brunch and thrift shopping together, just after a few weeks of knowing each other. It is a sense of community here that I never felt in London.
I always tried to live as sustainably as possible but let’s be real. Going to a thrift shop in London you pay almost as much if not more than if you get it brand new. And the organic stores…. I LOVED finding my local organic store and had no issue paying the premium price. Now I’m in a place where I have access to all of those things without the crazy price tag. I don’t go to the organic store just to the local farmer to get my fresh produce.
Meaning of Slow living
Slow living is a mindset that advocates for a more meaningful, conscious lifestyle. It means doing everything at the right speed, instead of striving to do things faster.
Slow living is about slowing down and doing less, prioritizing spending the right amount of time on the things that matter most to you. By slowing down and intentionally placing your true values at the heart of your lifestyle, a slow-living mindset encourages you to live in self-awareness and make conscious decisions for the benefit of your well-being and that of the planet.
Slow living denies that being busy equates to being successful or important. It means being present and at the moment, celebrating quality over quantity, living with intent, being conscious and considered—and switching off autopilot!
To adopt a slower mindset is not just about prioritizing quality over quantity; it’s about making space for reflection and self-awareness.
Changing for the better
I’m working on embracing the truth Slow Living lifestyle. Some of the changes that I have implemented are:
- reducing the use of my freezer – using ingredients that are in season & being mindful of how much I buy to reduce unnecessary food waste
- shopping from independent local vendors
- I spend much less time on Instagram – I feel the platform is not giving me the same satisfaction as it used to and I really enjoy making videos so I will be starting my YouTube channel in the next few weeks.
- spending more time outdoor
This is only the beginning and as I’m writing this post I have to start packing as I will be away for a month but I can’t wait to see and experience winter here and see how my life and habits are getting more in harmony with this new chapter.
Let’s be social and connect on Social 🙂 Check out some of my other seasonal recipes like “5 Easy & Healthy Fall Pumpkin Recipes“
