Living in the hustle of Paris and Edinburgh to starting a slow life at a Seaside Cottage

Hello everyone, I hope you are well. Spring unfolds and transforms our cottage garden before our eyes right now, but the day so far up north was still rather cool. Luckily, this is about to change soon as warmer weather is on the way. My week was busy and I slowed myself down deliberately to be able to recharge my batteries. Learning to live slower has phases, as old habits can easily creep their way back in. When I was in my 20s, I decided that I wanted to live abroad, in France, and was able to get a sabbatical from my job for a while. As I still needed to make an income, I applied at Disneyland in Paris and worked there over a very hot summer, commuting every day from Paris, where I found accommodation in a Chambre des Bonnes in the 11th arrondissement. Paris is a wonderful and vibrant city with charming architecture, lovely cafes and individual shops and many gardens that are like an oasis in a big city. I liked the atmosphere and opportunities, the culture and diversity, but after six months, I was happy to leave Paris behind me. As with all the before mentioned, it also came with a lot of traffic, numerous people, high prices and the pollution every big city creates. I also lived in another capital, Edinburgh, until three years ago. A former steward's flat in a golf club house was our home for over eight years. And besides living in a big city, we had greenery and less traffic around us. I can see the reasons behind living in a big city. The infrastructure, transport and amenities are very practical. Moving to a rural seaside town was the best decision my husband and I made though. I always liked the seaside town we live in now and had visited numerous times. We were so lucky to buying this house as prices in this area are very high and the family selling us the cottage did so without going for the highest bidder. As you saw in the video on the transformation of the cottage, we put a lot of work and effort into our home and we both love it as it is right now. Older homes come with challenges, but they also come with character, which I really like. Living in a small community slows down your life and in Scotland things are slower in general. Being surrounded by so much beauty, the sea, forests and hills is a privilege that many appreciate who live here as much as those coming for a holiday. When I walk to our local shops, the people I meet will greet you kindly and you might have a lovely wee conversation with one of them. Since my mental health issue my life slowed down a lot. First because I was unable to do most things and now because I'm aware of how much a slow life benefits me. Slow doesn't mean I do not have many things to take care of, I do, but I'm limiting my time where I can to be able to take a break, be in nature and recharge my batteries and my tender soul. A friend of mine calls it a little life and I quite like that. My life is simpler than it used to be when I was a single mother and I'm fully embracing it. A slow simple life aligns with my personality, my requirements and I am lucky in that my husband is very much like me in this regard. I have made life-changing decisions and moves in my past and created many memories and that was okay, but now it is time to live a slow life and I am liking it. It was time to finally get my spring and summer wardrobe out. Since our cottage is so wee, I stole part of my clothes in a lovely trunk that I have had for a long time. It is always nice to welcome the summer dresses back and also to give the winter wardrobe a rest. I also got around to do my creative project of felting some flowers for the living room. It was really lovely to get back to this craft as I hadn't felt it for some years. To celebrate spring, I made a blueberry trifle. The original recipe is a blueberry cheesecake in a jar, but I changed it as I wanted it to be lighter, so I swapped the filling with a coconut yogurt instead of cream cheese. This can easily be prepared and will last for some days in the fridge. I would like to thank you all again for your kind support and comments. Have a lovely week, take care, and I see you soon.