Iona Winter

I’ve moved. I know, I know, I’ve been talking about it for over a decade! So you’ll be pleased to know I’ve done it, and you won’t have to listen to me fantasising about it any more. Neither will you hear me bemoaning life in the city, because I am no longer there…HALLELUJAH!

Happily ensconced in a cottage by the sea, with chooks in the yard, I’m in the country, where the water tastes LIKE WATER – as it should.

Is it helping with writing? Time will tell I guess. But as I’m making an effort today (six days in), I hypothesise that it will. The view from my desk couldn’t be any more different than the previous one. Imagine a bedroom wall in a DARK flat, versus a view of a MASSIVE garden, trees, clear skies and spring blossoms on the fruit trees. A no-brainer really.

Moving went smoothly, three days driving a truck with all my worldly possessions snuggly sandwiched in. I literally drove from one end of the country to the other, and onto the other island. It went without a hitch.

Until we arrived. My (usually) outstanding organisational skills didn’t pay off. No utilities. No option but to camp out in the lounge in front of the fire. Thank God my friend had organised some wood for me. I will be forever indebted to her. The wood was a lifesaver, as was finding the billy to put on top of the fireplace and the candles which (ingeniously) were lodged into muffin tins with some outside gravel in them. Needs must, we did what was necessary to be comfortable. AND we were COMFORTABLE. It’s been a long time since I camped out in front of a fire on a mattress with my son.

I am humbled by the generosity and welcome from friends here. This is how people ought to interact with each other. WITH LOVING KINDNESS. It is how I tried to interact in the city, but somehow I felt it was often lost there. No matter how friendly I was to people, it was a rare occurrence to be rewarded with a smile. Oops, I promised not to bemoan the city. Apologies, I will shut up about that for now.

Of course there will be drawbacks that will make themselves known as I settle in. I have no illusions about such things. Being here on my own (son and heir to the throne has returned to the big smoke) I must say it feels great. I KNOW that I am SAFE. There are no sirens going off. It is quiet and the land is happier here. I can FEEL it in my bones.

Some might say it’s a big risk, moving to a small town. Others might say I’m a wee bit touched in the head. BUT here I can breathe, real fresh air. The cost of living is one third of what it was in the city. Here I am HAPPY, truly I am. And I have a rather large kitchen to bake in, should I need distractions from writing! In fact the kitchen is about TEN times the size of my last one. Oh the spaciousness is so wonderful to wander in!

So far, so good. No regrets. Everything is as it should be. I will sign off now, the CHOOKS are clucking for me to pay them some attention. There will be FRESH eggs to collect too.