The ups and downs of our move to the country

The ups and downs of our move to the country

Would a move to the country prove terribly wrong after three decades in London? We share the highs and lows of our time in the Dales

We finally settled in. After four years on the road, punctuated by stretches in a tiny French village, we're finally back in the UK - well, sort of. We have trips planned for Nov-Dec and next year to Namibia, South Africa and possibly Costa Rica, but we also have a permanent home.

Long-time readers of Atlas & Boots will know that Peter and I left London in 2014 to travel the world. We returned briefly in 2016 and although I was excited to be back in London, I was hesitant about returning to city life.

Soon after, we rented our respective London apartments long-term and left the country for France. Since then we've been between beds in the UK, using guest rooms and Airbnb to visit family and friends.

We knew we didn't want to be in France forever, but decided we didn't want to be in London either. We are looking for a goal. Peter's instinct was Scotland, for him the most beautiful place in the world, but it was just too far for me. We settled on something in between: a small town called Richmond on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

alt=”Views of our walk in the Yorkshire Dales National Park move into the countryside”>Atlas & BootsViews from our hike in the Yorkshire Dales National Park

It was a bit of a roller coaster ride. We bounced from Airbnb to Airbnb to free up a room while our carriers got their work together. We couldn't travel in case we had to sign any last-minute papers, and I had to renew my passport early (first world problems, I know). While all this was happening, I was also finishing my novel (coming out next year – subscribe for updates!).

Needless to say, it was hectic, but here we are in one place, gasping for air. We've been in Richmond for six weeks now and thought it would be a good time to pause, take stock and share the ups and downs of our move to the country.

UPS

A study!

We have a free room. We have a room available! We have a room available! We turned it into a study and it's big enough for two large desks and a sofa.

In London we had two tiny desks leaning against a wall in the bedroom, and if I moved my mouse too violently I would hit Peter in the elbow. There's no way we could afford a house with a spare room in London and that feels like a real luxury. The house isn't perfect because we were on a budget (no garden unfortunately) but it's a pretty good starting point.

Access to the outdoors

We are a five minute drive and 15 minute walk to the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It's one of 10 national parks in England, so it's probably fair to say it's one of the most beautiful places in the country. I totally fell in love with her.

• alt=“Ein kurzer Spaziergang nach dem Umzug aufs Land“>
• alt=“Peter bewältigt einen Dales 30-Umzug aufs Land“>
• alt=“Der Gipfel verlagert sich aufs Land“>
• alt=“Kein Bedauern nach dem Umzug aufs Land“>
• alt=“Schafe auf einem Hügel entdeckt, nachdem wir aufs Land gezogen waren“>
• alt=“auf den Landweg wechseln“>
• alt=“Umzug auf das Land Cairns“>
• alt=“Ansichten, nachdem wir aufs Land gezogen sind“>

Atlas & Boots

A charming city

To be honest, we were lucky when we came across Richmond. We were looking at houses in the tiny village of Reeth in the Yorkshire Dales National Park when our estate agent mentioned she lived nearby in Richmond.

I googled the city and was amazed. It seemed like a nice balance between city life and rural village and I'm glad we chose something halfway. Instead of Murder Mile, we now have Richmond Castle and the River Swale nearby.

alt="Richmond Castle rises above the city">DreamtimeRichmond Castle rises above the city

Access to amenities

This may seem ridiculous considering I come from London where you can access every amenity under God's sun, but living in Richmond was a revelation. Everything here is within walking distance, whether it's Boots, the gym, the cinema, the local bookshop, the swimming pool or Costa Coffee*.

In London I had to get on a bus or train to access any of these things. This is not just a theoretical advantage. I've swam eight or nine times since we've been here. The last time I went swimming in London was in the 1990s.

(*Yes, there is a Costa Coffee here, although we prefer Duncan’s and Mocha 🙂

A feeling of well-being

I was born in London and have lived there for 32 years of my life. I have lived in Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Hackney. I had a wonderful job in the central London offices of the largest book publisher in the world. I have been happy for many years and London is inextricably linked to it.

Towards the end of my time there, however, a deep lack of well-being began to be felt. The daily commute, the relentless noise, the smell, the stress, and the complete lack of space began to feel suffocating. In Richmond my mood is calm and I just need to spend a bit of time back in London to remember why I left.

I see Mission Impossible Fallout in the cinema: London looks so amazing. I love this city and am very happy to be here again.

I walk home after the cinema: is that someone else's back sweat seeping into my dress?

— Kia Abdullah (@KiaAbdullah) August 2, 2018

I'm in London this week and there is construction work on EVERY side of the building. I have now set up my desk in the middle of the apartment opposite the toilet. pic.twitter.com/Ipu5Cqa0EF

— Kia Abdullah (@KiaAbdullah) August 6, 2018

Depths

FOMO

I'm not going to lie: I get FOMO (fear of missing out). I missed out on a lot of great events because I no longer live in London. For example, this week I miss the separate book presentations of my friends Gautam Malkani and Ariane Sherine.

Missing events and occasions isn't new as I travel so often for Atlas & Boots, but when you're swimming with whale sharks or climbing volcanoes, missing a book launch doesn't feel so bad. Chilling with a book in your socks gives you a bit of FOMO.

Lack of family and friends

I miss my family and friends very much. Again, this isn't new because I've been away for a long time, but there is a greater sense of permanence with this move.

alt="All my sisters and most of my family are in London">Atlas & BootsAll my sisters are in London

I knew I wouldn't be in France forever and when I traveled I knew I would return to London. Now my home is Richmond and that feels very strange considering my seven siblings and my 21 nieces and nephews all live in London.

Lack of anonymity

There is a lack of anonymity here. The city isn't so small that you recognize everyone, but I'm one of the very few people of color here. I don't quite stick out like a sore thumb, but I do stand out. That's mostly fine, except for the fact that I feel like I always have to be on my best behavior so that people don't think, "Oh, that Indian girl is so rude." (I'm not Indian, but you know what I mean.)

It's not London

What can I say? It's not London... but then it's nothing. I've been to some of the world's fabled best cities - New York, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, ​​Berlin, Sydney, Istanbul and so on - and there's no place like London.

alt="There's simply no place like London">DreamtimeThere's simply no place like London

I'm biased because it's my home, but there's an energy here (or should I say there) that's different than anywhere else.

From Camden Market and Carnaby Street to Brick Lane and Notting Hill, London has a certain something: anarchic and bohemian, but wealthy and ambitious. It's bursting with music, fashion, theater and literature and even though I'm 240 miles away it will always feel like home.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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