Picture this…. A cozy life in a stone cottage in the countryside with animals and plant life, rain and sunshine, freshly grown produce and freshly baked bread. Views all round of MY land. A forest to bathe in. 

It’s very different to where I thought I’d want to be at this point in my life and from where I am now. I have a large modern home in the burbs surrounded by loads of chaotic roads filled with traffic, traffic and more traffic. I’m surrounded by urban sprawl and dealing with frantic schedules, lesson planning and constant deadlines. 

But I have this longing for a deeper connection with nature, a quiet environment and the opportunity to embrace a slower pace of life. I believe a move to the country is the right choice for me for the following reasons:

The peace and quiet of cottagecore in the countryside

I long for a cosy home in the country with space and quiet. 

I can see myself spending each of my days cooking in a sun-drenched kitchen, napping in the afternoons after tending to my garden and spending my evenings curled up by a crackling fireplace. This quieter environment will allow me to live a more restorative life where there will be less stress or at least stress of a different kind. A cottagecore life could mean peace and tranquility where there is more space and privacy, less crowds and clean fresh air.

Connection with nature

I need a change from screen time to stargazing under a rural night sky, from data entry to doing hands on work. I yearn for a simpler, more old-fashioned life, of cottagecore living in the countryside. Could I trade textbooks for tea cups, backpacks for baking, grading for gardening and school bells for sunsets? Cottagecore living encourages slowing down, appreciating the simple things, and reconnecting with nature.

A slower pace of life

I need to live a life that feels slower, simpler and more fulfilling. I long to have the freedom to choose what I do in my day. I don’t want to live by someone else’s schedule or bells or timetables or deadlines or rules or demands anymore. Just time to build a life so I can survive and thrive away from the noise, congestion and pressures of city living. Where I can enjoy a slower pace of life and have nature at my doorstep.

I want to live in the country because the daily grind of juggling teaching with motherhood has left me empty and boring. Stuck on a hamster wheel that I can’t get off. The constant drudgery of suburban life has made me disillusioned and in some ways I’ve forgotten how to live. I feel like I need a simpler way of living with less stress to focus on what truly matters. 

But it can’t be all sunshine and roses. There are many challenges that come with living a rural existence that could take a while to adjust to. 

There’s the physical work. The upkeep and maintenance of self-sufficient living could be a challenge. An older cottage may be in need of renovations on a small scale but quite possibly large as well. 

There’s growing food, animals to look after, cooking, cleaning and property maintenance.

But I do have the aspirations to try a change in the ‘work’ I do. Instead of being stuck in a classroom and staff office, I really do think I could go in a different direction.

Other challenges might be living away from medical facilities and shopping centres. Will my family come visit me? Will my husband want this lifestyle too? What about natural disasters such as fire and flood?

Could it be lonely for us? Is a smaller community for me? Am I the type of person to get involved in community events and activities?

Chasing the cottagecore life dream…

Chasing a cottagecore dream takes planning and a healthy dose of reality. I know it isn’t going to be easy. There’s much to learn. But am I too old for a change? 

In education, teachers are constantly being told we are all lifelong learners. So surely I can learn a new way of life in the countryside. 

But we all know you can’t just up and leave your family and commitments, so for now all this is a dream or future goal. First the kids have to get through school as I’m not one for upending their lives for my sake. 

In the meantime I can manifest and dream of this future rural existence. Mini holidays and overnight stays in potential locations with my husband, for my cottagecore life in the countryside is probably all I can do for now, which is fine. 

Life in the country…

So eventually I do hope to step away from the constant busyness of the modern world to a simpler way of life in the country. 

Living a cottagecore life is both idyllic and attainable. Where becoming more self-sufficient with the land, slowing down to notice the little things, nature and living with a real sense of purpose will fill my soul.

I hope that by sharing my experiences and motivations, I’ve inspired you to consider the possibilities that the simple charm of cottagecore living is undeniable.