Your Perfect (imagined) Life!

[Jitters22]

You have a blank piece of paper and a pen (or a post on Mumsnet) .... write down/describe your perfect life.

What would it be, where would you be living, in what part of the world or would you have homes in more than one place? Who would you be living with or would you prefer to be living alone?

What would your home look like, the rooms, the furnishings, the garden, the exterior? What would you be doing for a career or not, or would you prefer not to have to work?

Would you have loads of money, or be happier with just enough to get comfortable? Or would you prefer to live a more minimalist or even frugal lifestyle with very little in the way of possessions or wealth?

How would you spend your leisure time; would you like to be able to devote lots of time to a hobby or interest, and would you have any ambitions, or not?

It can be anything you like, anywhere you like, as much or as little as you like - but what would be your Perfect Life?

This is such a lovely thread!

My ideal life depends on my mood if I'm honest. Today my ideal would be a cottage by the sea in a village that I love and live quite near currently. It would be just me and DS and we'd have a lovely clutter free existence. I'd have lots of friends in the village and maybe even a bit of a love interest who makes me laugh and has lots in common with me but who doesn't pester me to live together. I'd have a beautiful, light filled home with a decent garden for veggies and flowers. Oh and I'd be a successful novelist!

Other times I want a beautiful townhouse in Haria on Lanzarote. I could speak perfect Spanish and blend in with the locals... and be a novelist

Mine would be a detached house, old but with a light and modern interior. About an acre of land but walled so my cats and dogs would be safe.
Doesn't have to be huge but would like three bedrooms, a workshop for dh to mess about in.
If I was really lucky, a small annexe so family could stay.

I'd have multiple urban homes dotted around the world that I'd spread my time between. My base would be in West London, where I'd successfully grow tropical trees in the small garden and they would never rot like they do with me now. I'd definitely have a flat in Fatih, Istanbul and one in Old Town Malaga where there would be red geraniums on the veranda all year round. I wouldn't need to worry about income (obviously!) and the weather in each destination would be perfect. I'd spend my time going for nice walks in markets and drinking naice coffee. I'd be very fit and healthy and never be bored. Oh and I'd never get worried about my grown up dc!

Lovely thread and interesting how many posters would like a life of solitude and simple pottering around a cottage in the countryside. I visited my sister recently who lives in a lovely market town about 30 mins from a big city. I asked her how often she’d taken the kids when little into the big city to do theatre and child friendly events/festivals. Almost never. Made me ponder that if that stuff is right in front of you (like you live in the city with these amenities) then they become part of what you think you need in life (Ie I live in a big city therefore must take advantage of all it offers!).
As for me we’re very happy as we are but this year will put into action a plan to move to the coast after 20 yrs in a big city. Excited and nervous! My happiest days were in my early 20s, working with horses in the states so I’d like horses in my life again. And a house big enough that we have plenty of room for books and our large kitchen table plus a piano and our wonderful cats! Lots of time to walk on the beaches and see the seasons change and learn new pursuits like sailing and kayaking. As it’s a fantasy id love an old school land rover with a roof tent so we could go off at a moment’s notice and wild camp (we’re moving to a part of the country where that’s more acceptable!). I’d like to continue with my Fridays off once my youngest starts school so I have time to get some of those weekend chores out of the way so we can enjoy our weekends together.

Interesting idea OP.

My ideal life would basically be what I have now except I'd live in a house not a flat with my bf and we'd have a baby.

We're TTC and saving for a deposit so I'm actually not that far off!

I'm amazed and surprised it's so close to what I currently have!

Just reading about everyone's beautiful fantasies and really touched by them... some of us are living the dream, others of us have that longing to retreat into a life of peace. It's a funny thing, my postie, who knows I'm mid-divorce (redirected mail is a dead giveaway and besides, postie's know ALL), said to me, "So many people in their 30s get divorced because they want more out of life."
And I said to him, "Yeah and you get to my age, 50, and you divorce because you want less out of it!"
All I want is an Angkor Wat sunrise. It's not a big ask, right?

The houseboat fantasy is another one (that would be a real life disaster but the fantasy is brilliant!).

I'd live in a post-scarcity universe where there are unlimited resources for everyone. Medical problems are resolved and people can live forever or as long as they want to without aging unless they choose to. Changing body or bodily features is simple. There'd be widespread safe space travel with many fascinating planets to visit and discover. Everything I own would be in a small backpack I travel. I would travel around widely and freely studying botany and collecting seeds and plant cuttings to take back to my large botanical garden and nature reserve. We would have a home base within the nature reserve with a large group of friends and family but rarely would many of us be there at any one time and it would be more like lots of separate tree house type pods than one big house.

I’d be living with Rob Lowe in a huge house overlooking San Francisco bay.

Count me in too. My perfect life would involve me living near to the seaside and plenty of wine and books etc. I would teach French to people too and have summer picnics on the beach from time to time as well. I would also have a cat. I also want to have a room for magazines only, this is one of my impractical fantasies. I also would run a business of some type, not sure what however.

My current life is singl(ish), includes small beamed cottage, cats, artistic pursuits. I’m happy, and it sounds as though lots of you would envy me but I have a constant feeling of guilt and feeling that I ought to be Doing More.

I suppose that’s just the human condition though.

If I were to perfect my life, I’d add to my current life a career as a wildly successful writer. I’d use my royalties to build schools for girls in West Africa. For six months every other year, I’d travel, publicising my books, seeing how the schools were doing, gathering material for the next novel…then I’d come back and lead my current, quiet life for the next 18 months.

I’d also buy the three fields surrounding my house and turn them into woodland, with bridleways (and add a swimming pond just for me).

Oh and I’d employ a full time driver. And obtain a levels in maths and Latin, which I’ve always wanted.

This is interesting!

I’ve always wanted to live by the sea, but not somewhere that gets overrun by tourists in the summer.

My house would be big, with a huge open plan kitchen/dining room, bifold doors to a garden (which I wouldn’t have to maintain, as I’m rubbish at gardening!)

My four children would all be surf dudes (they love all that kind of thing and we do it for two weeks every summer, but they and I would love it to be more of a way if life for them). My husband and I would both be much, much fitter and a couple of stone lighter 😉

The house would be entirely clutter free.

Job wise- I really enjoy what I do now (special needs teacher) but would like it to be more part time! I would also like to have just enough money not to have to worry about bills etc, and to be able to go on day trips and weekends away frequently.

Apart, that is, from the cynical nasties who posted immediately after my OP, and who seem to have not surprisingly disappeared entirely.

Really? It was a harmless joke, no malice in it and certainly not deserving of repeated insults. It made me laugh, anyway.

I'd be living back in my home town , but on the the outskirts ( but it would be nicer , with the shops it used to have ) in a normal , average 3 bed , detached . self cleaning ! I'd live alone but have a close relationship with a man who came around regularly , sometimes staying over , spending a few days here and there when it suited me, and we'd also go out and about.
I wouldn't work but maybe do some volunteering in something I enjoy doing , but I'd have a magic bank account that always put in what was taken out !
Friends that would come over for a few hours with lovely food / wine and great conversations .
Basically a free life , no money worries ( or health ones ) family & friends close by .

(Thanks for all the posts and thanks to OP for starting this lovely thread.

Don’t want to hijack, but going through some tough stuff at the moment, and all your lovely visions of the future have made today seem more manageable)

Big house with private driveway and large garden in London maybe Hampstead Location- 4/5 kids, live in cleaner/caretaker, kids home educated by me, house in the Lake District for weekends away.

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

Apart, that is, from the cynical nasties who posted immediately after my OP, and who seem to have not surprisingly disappeared entirely.

Really? It was a harmless joke, no malice in it and certainly not deserving of repeated insults. It made me laugh, anyway.

Yes it was a joke !! The way the OP had written sounded very much like article research that’s why I posted about journalism ! Seems nobody can take a joke.

Oh and look a lovely pm from a very defensive OP too !

In my imagined life I’d be friends with @TheVanguardSix, (I don’t know why, but your post tickled me and struck a chord ) and I would mine her real and imagined life for my books, thus probably causing irreparable damage to our friendship.

I’d be living with Rob Lowe in a huge house overlooking San Francisco bay.

Yeah, I'll have that one too! Or is it like baby names? Am I allowed to just use yours without your permission?
Actually, in mine, Rob and I would move down to Carmel by the Sea. You can keep the house in San Fran.

@BananasApplesKiwi

Well I liked it. (My ideal life would be filled with people who have a sense of humour.)

My perfect life is impossible because I want things that don't exist in real life!

I would want to live somewhere with the sea/lakes, lovely forests and hills all within easy walking distance of my home. At the same time I'd like all the benefits of a big city close by - good public transport, swimming pool and yoga studio, lots of great restaurants/takeaways/markets, theatres, galleries - and lots of good friends within easy reaching distance.

I'd want a lovely big 4/5 bed period home with some sort of outbuilding for my/DH's hobbies. Decorated in a modern but colourful and cosy style. Most importantly a big kitchen with an island, a spa like bathroom where I can have a relaxing bath and a well established beautiful garden that takes no work from me at all to keep it that way!

Other things I'd probably keep as they are - I like my job though I'd like to go down to 4 days a week (and for my DH to as well), I'm pregnant so looking forward to starting a family. We have a cat and I'd like a dog too in a few years but we probably will get that. We go on holiday in normal times 3/4 times a year (normally 1/2 of those will be in the UK, maybe camping) and I'm really happy with that (especially if I had the house of my dreams in the location of my dreams!)

I'm a successful novelist living in South London with my supportive husband Oliver and our two sons.

😢

[quote JesusInTheCabbageVan]@BananasApplesKiwi

Well I liked it. (My ideal life would be filled with people who have a sense of humour.)[/quote]
Thank you it really was honestly a joke !
Seems to not have been taken as one 🤦‍♀️

@TheVanguardSix

I’d be living with Rob Lowe in a huge house overlooking San Francisco bay.

Yeah, I'll have that one too! Or is it like baby names? Am I allowed to just use yours without your permission?
Actually, in mine, Rob and I would move down to Carmel by the Sea. You can keep the house in San Fran.

Maybe we could come to an agreement? DH knows about all this. He realises that as soon as Rob gives me the nod I’ll be gone. He seems ok with it TBF.

Small cottage, goats in the field. View over the Atlantic Ocean. I grow vegetables and shop once a week in the local store. I read at night because the Internet is rubbish. No big companies will deliver as I am too remote. There's a lovely church within walking distance.
I don't need to work because I have sufficient money to pay my bills and I don't want what I cannot have/afford. In my dreams I am married to Ian Wright.(I wish) I am content and watch the stars at night and am at peace with myself and God.