Earth day 2025
As today is Earth Day I thought I’d take a moment to write down my reflections on this important day, which serves not only as a global reminder of how precious our planet is, and how important it is that we take care of it, but also for us a personal reminder of why we decided to leave behind our city life and build something new in the mountains.
We’ve told the story many times before, but moving to the countryside wasn’t just about fresh air and mountain views (although we’ll never tire of those). It was truly a conscious choice to slow down and live a lifestyle that fit with our values and desire to live more intentionally, and tread more lightly on the Earth.
Leaving the City Behind
Miguel and I loved our London life! Of course there were many perks and for years we lived by the mantra ‘work hard, play hard’. But over time, it started to feel like a life we were surviving, not living. The pace was relentless. We were constantly on the go, juggling intense work schedules with commuting, shopping and socialising. So much of what we consumed came wrapped in plastic and full of unnatural preservatives and we recognised that we were always tired, disconnected, and craving something different.
We started to grow a few veggies in our little back garden, and we made a bigger effort to recycle, but second-hand and repurpose items, but we were limited with how far we could go, living in the city, surrounded by so much consumerism and fast foods. We realised we didn’t want to keep living in a way that felt so out of sync with the natural world – or with ourselves, and we made plans to change everything!
Growing Our Own Food
One of the most grounding changes has been growing our own food here in our allotment. It started with a few herbs and tomatoes… and slowly grew into our raised beds, compost piles, and bountiful harvests. We’re not trying to be perfect or completely self-sufficient, we’re a long way off that! But each season we manage to grow a bit more, and cut a little more off our shopping bill, and honestly it feels great!
Growing food has connected us to the seasons. It’s made us more mindful about what we eat, where it comes from, and how we can waste less. And there’s something deeply satisfying about serving a meal we’ve grown ourselves—it just tastes better.
Earth day 2025
Travelling Less, Living More
Before we moved, we used to plan regular getaways – weekends away to “escape” the stress. But here, we no longer feel the urge to run. Our everyday surroundings offer the peace and perspective we used to search for in holidays. The mountains, the quiet, the starry skies—these are now part of our daily life. In fact it was on our list, ‘to live as though we’re on holiday everyday’.
The best thing is that by travelling less we’re also reducing our carbon footprint too. By staying grounded, we’ve found a deeper appreciation for where we are, and a slower rhythm that feels far more sustainable, we don’t need to escape anymore.
What We’ve Gained
There’s a misconception that living more sustainably is all about sacrifice. But in truth, we feel like we’ve gained so much more than we’ve given up.
We’ve gained time—real, unrushed time with our kids.
We’ve gained presence—learning to be in the moment, whether we’re weeding a garden bed or sipping tea under the trees.
We’ve gained perspective—realising that a ‘rich’ life isn’t always the one with the highest income, but the one where your values and lifestyle are in alignment.
An Invitation to Reflect
But I don’t write this to suggest that everyone should move to the mountains, moving to a remote, rural location away from family and friends isn’t for everyone and I feel lucky that Miguel and I agreed on the decision and have both adapted so well to this way of living. However, Earth Day is a perfect time to reflect on how we’re living, and what small changes might bring us closer to a gentler, more conscious way of life.
Could you grow a few herbs on your windowsill? Shop from a local farm shop? Walk instead of drive when you can? Or even just take five minutes to be still in nature today? There are so many different ways we can impact the planet in a positive way, it’s about choosing the ones that work for you.
It all matters. And it all adds up.