Author: Elena Gascón
Are you sick and tired of the bustle and hustle of the big city? Are you living life at the limit spending endless hours commuting, rushing everywhere and still not being able to fulfill all your commitments? Do you feel powerless at the end of the day? Stop the rat race and welcome wellness in the countryside!
Listen to the stories of the local community
Moving to a rural area will undoubtedly change your life. At first, you may feel overwhelmed. You might think the chances of meeting new people are few. You believe that there are already fixed and well-established networks and circles of friendships. You might wonder “how can I possibly make friends?” Do not be judgemental: your neighbours, your colleagues, and the people you meet in get-togethers all have wonderful stories to tell you. Some of them are willing to tell you their family anecdotes or traditions that go down from generation to generation. Others may be young people that moved into the city before you who will gladly share their successful experiences.
Breathe clean!
Forget about stress once and for all. Embrace nature! In the countryside, you feel life cycles, you flow with the seasons. Enjoy outstretched valleys full of colourful flowers in Spring. Feel the refreshing water running down your skin while you bathe in a lake on hot summer days. Go mushroom-picking in the forest or walk among vibrant-coloured leaves in the park in Autumn. Make snow angels and take picturesque photographs in Winter. Even, if you feel exhausted on an ordinary day, you can go for a long walk by the river or trekking in the mountains, your wellbeing is in your hand. Learn more about staying active in the blog post by Luana!
Choose your new hobby
Indulge in that new hobby you had always wanted to take up. Clubs are the best places to socialise. In the countryside, you can enjoy any indoor activities just like in the city such as dancing, painting or yoga but you will find a great variety of original hobbies to choose from, like pottery or weaving. Outdoors, there is even a wider range of sports. For instance, if you want to feel a rush of adrenaline you can practise caving, downhill mountain biking, canyoning, bird watching, star gazing. You can also enjoy mainstream sports clubs like football or rugby in order to keep fit beyond the traditional gym workout. Other added bonuses are walking or cycling anywhere without needing a car, and growing your own food in your orchard if you wish.
Other places where you can mingle with locals and tourists alike are art galleries, museums, heritage sites, summer festivals, street markets, breweries, vineyards, the historic old part of the town, libraries, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and, especially, traditional festivities, cafés and bars.
If you feel nostalgic and you still need an extra boost, you can always switch on your laptop and videocall your family, your childhood friends and watch your favourite series. Put your heart and soul into everything you do.
