Country Living with Integrity

March 6, 2015

Country living is a lifestyle that truly allows us to be ourselves.  In my younger years, I grew up in a small township nestled in  the Snowy Mountains. Surrounded by fertile orchards of apples, nectarines, cherries, rolling hills and glorious views. Camping, fishing, bushwalking, horse riding and catching tadpoles were  just some of the everyday experiences I enjoyed.

My upbringing was a simple life, but a way of life that held so much richness, a richness that I now search for and try to recapture every day. Not only do I search for this lifestyle for myself, but even more so now that I am a mother. I want the beauty, simplicity and purity of the country lifestyle for my family.

As a child I felt like I had place and purpose growing up in the country. I manned the centre field on the hockey team, I was the one with the ‘mean arm’ in softball, and had a dig on the volleyball court that always went deep. I could walk home from training, ride my bike to the pool and skate till all hours in our driveway. I had the freedom to simply be a kid.

Living in the country toughened me up and taught me many things. I always had pocket money either through carting wood, or picking fruit over summer. Apples were tough and never a favourite, but cherries and raspberries were much easier. Not only did we gain the satisfaction of achievement, but this also gave us the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. I remember picking cherries, and listening to the Islanders sing all day. These were some of the best performances I have had the privilege of seeing.

As I grew older, curiosity set in and my little town felt a little small. There wasn’t a great deal of change and I was hungry for some. At the age of 18, I finished school and headed for the ‘big smoke’ to study and find my feet in the world. My eyes were wide open, my heart was racing but I was excited. I laugh about it now, roundabouts were a new experience and traffic lights for that matter, these were all entertaining for a while, and I tended to jump on the bus for fear of driving. Things moved a little faster… a lot faster actually, and not so many people stopped for a chat.

I lived amongst the city lights of Canberra, Sydney, Perth and ventured abroad to live in London… it was wonderful. I will always cherish these adventures and achievements, but there came a time where a niggle in my heart grew wider and deeper and I simply could not ignore it anymore. That niggle was my roots and the realisation that my heart was in the country and I longed for nothing more. I missed looking up to an open sky and seeing stars that weren’t muffled by city lights.

So I now find myself in Yarra Glen and the niggle has gone. Once again I look out to fruit bearing hills and talk to the neighbours over the back fence. I walk around the block every night with my daughter stopping several times to chat to people we have met. My daughter is happy and so am I. She is allowed to be a child and feels like she has a place as do I. Yarra Glen is home.

Integrity Real Estate wishes you all the best for Autumn.