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?

Just like it is, really, except with twice the money and a daily cleaner

My life wouldn't be too much different to now. Love where I live, particularly my village. So wouldn't change that. Also love my job, so would change too much there either.

But I would upgrade my house from the 3 bed semi I currently own to one of the large Georgian houses. I'd have a library and a cleaner or housekeeper, a gardener and a swimming pool in my garden.

And I would reduce my hours to three days a week (I currently work 4). Just so I'd have enough time to do all the other things I'd love to do, but currently don't have time for.

I'd have a dog - ckcs or a cavapoo and a new car.

But that's all. Unless I won the lottery, then I'd give up work and become an eternal student. I could think of two undergrad degrees and three masters I've love to study (once I've finished the course I'm currently doing!)

I'd have my own successful business doing things I enjoy and meeting plenty of people, but that doesn't matter too much and with a great team of employees so I'm not stressed.

I'd live on my own in a lovely house with an annexe for visiting family who came once a month and a beautiful garden that doesn't need too much time to keep it looking gorgeous. It would be surrounded by fields I own in which there was a horse I occasionally go out riding on. I I'd sometimes work from home when the mood took me and work overlooking the garden, wandering out into it, in between big lucrative business deals.

I'd live near the sea, but also mountains and lovely rolling hills for hiking (I'm very fit and strong), and also near enough to a city for great theatre etc.

I'd have a close male friend who was very intelligent and with who I have deep stimulating conversations and lots of laughter. I'd have a small group of old friends that know me very well and with whom I can share the ups and downs of life and have the occasional fun filled weekend away or just coffee regularly.

I'd have enough money not to ever think it could run out and to be able to set up several charitable endeavours in this country and in poorer countries.

Oh and I'd have a pied-à-terre in London near Westminster and a beautiful villa by the sea in Italy with its own pool and retainer couple to look after it which the whole family could use whenever they liked. Plus a Caribbean beachside villa but the Caribbean would be just off the south coast (cos I can't be doing with long haul flights)

Especially given that these threads always involve huge numbers of people wanting to be writers, though minus deadlines and painful edits and always involving lovely writing huts and a lot of pottering.

It’s supposed to be a fantasy isn’t it!

But seriously sometimes just having the ability to fantasise is difficult.

In my particular difficult circumstances, there are little bits of these fantasies that seem manageable (gardening, connecting to friends), so even though this thread is just light hearted, thanks!

My dream perfect life would sadly require a lottery win to pay for it.

I’d like a massive bit of land in Wales, near the sea, with huge gates. I’d design our very large house and have a bungalow attached to it for my mum. I’d have a heated pool with a big outdoor entertaining area and a putting green for DH. I’d like chickens, geese, alpacas and DH would like a couple of pigs. And lots of dogs. And a walled garden next door to an orchard. I’d need a full time gardener, someone to do all the work that comes with the animals and a housekeeper. I’d have a craft room and a huge library and would spend my days swanning about, enjoying it all, while someone else did all the hard work.

Or, the life I have now with better health and not having to go to work.

I would be in a house in my home village (I'd say my childhood home as it's beautiful but my mum is still there so it'd seem harsh kicking her out haha) with my DP, and two cats.

We would have 2 children of early primary school age, having somehow magically glossed over the early years of no sleep and dirty nappies.

We would be running the business we're running now, but it'd be bringing in a little more so we could both give up our day jobs and be at home.

We'd stroll into the village every Sunday for a roast dinner at the pub, and then take the kids to the park on the way home.

@merrymouse

Especially given that these threads always involve huge numbers of people wanting to be writers, though minus deadlines and painful edits and always involving lovely writing huts and a lot of pottering.

It’s supposed to be a fantasy isn’t it!

But seriously sometimes just having the ability to fantasise is difficult.

In my particular difficult circumstances, there are little bits of these fantasies that seem manageable (gardening, connecting to friends), so even though this thread is just light hearted, thanks!

I get that it’s a fantasy, but if part of that fantasy is wanting to write, there’s absolutely nothing stopping anyone making a start. You need no equipment, training, education, preparation, and you can plan in your head while commuting/doing a repetitive task/on the school run. If you gave up half an hour of tv a day, you’d have a first draft of a novel in a year.

If the fantasy is ‘I occasionally dictate ideas to a ghostwriter in my mansion, and the result is invariably a bestseller that brings me endless acclaim on my signing tours’, that’s a bit different, obviously.

If the fantasy is ‘I occasionally dictate ideas to a ghostwriter in my mansion, and the result is invariably a bestseller that brings me endless acclaim on my signing tours’, that’s a bit different, obviously.

But I think that is the fantasy!!!!

@MagicKit

Just like it is, really, except with twice the money and a daily cleaner

Oh, this! Now I come to think of it, this would be absolutely, completely perfect!!

I’d live in a small but beautiful house with its own path to a private area of beach that I can swim in any time I want. I’d also have a hot tub and maybe a sauna for after.
I’d work but very part time, with the rest of the time to Sean around pretending to write a book.
I’d live alone but have a hot a nice live out boyfriend.

I'm almost living my perfect life - in a house on the west coast of Ireland, with two dogs and a rather lovely husband. Walking distance to a beautiful sandy beach. I don't work (am retired), but do make my own bread and make a few cakes etc. Also make candles and perfumes for fun. Planning on getting back into winemaking this year, and possibly cheesemaking. I've got the seeds (and the space) for vegetables - they will happen!

The only thing that's not perfect at the moment is that we're living in a friend's house, waiting for cash to come through from a sale of a property in the UK, so we can renovate our own house (only half a mile away) - it's currently a bit of a state, unheated and with dodgy electrics and plumbing. Once that's done (maybe in a year's time?) I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be, or anything I'd rather be doing.

I am so very, very lucky :)

I would want a flat somewhere close to London and a detached 4/5 bedroom house somewhere that has a high street / village centre with bustling bars/restaurants/cafes.

I wouldn't mind if my house was on the outskirts towards the countryside for the space as long as I could get a taxi easily.

I'd be more senior in the same area I'm in now (marketing) but would be able to work from home as much as I want.

Most importantly, we'd have 3-4 kids. Oh and a couple of dogs, hopefully beagles.

Money wise we'd clearly be minted to be living this life haha

@Inextremis

I'm almost living my perfect life - in a house on the west coast of Ireland, with two dogs and a rather lovely husband. Walking distance to a beautiful sandy beach. I don't work (am retired), but do make my own bread and make a few cakes etc. Also make candles and perfumes for fun. Planning on getting back into winemaking this year, and possibly cheesemaking. I've got the seeds (and the space) for vegetables - they will happen!

The only thing that's not perfect at the moment is that we're living in a friend's house, waiting for cash to come through from a sale of a property in the UK, so we can renovate our own house (only half a mile away) - it's currently a bit of a state, unheated and with dodgy electrics and plumbing. Once that's done (maybe in a year's time?) I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be, or anything I'd rather be doing.

I am so very, very lucky :)

Sounds wonderful.

@merrymouse

If the fantasy is ‘I occasionally dictate ideas to a ghostwriter in my mansion, and the result is invariably a bestseller that brings me endless acclaim on my signing tours’, that’s a bit different, obviously.

But I think that is the fantasy!!!!

Exactly. I know I can write. I’ve written shopping lists. The talent and the success is the fantasy.

As a writer, I would like the imagination of JK Rowling and the prose style of Edward St Aubyn. Plus the gazillions of James Patterson, the critical acclaim accorded to Zadie Smith and the popular adoration that Lisa Jewell gets. All that plus the anonymity of Antonia Forest. And a sprinkling of the Jilly Cooper’s dotty charm that makes even the Guardian write fondly of her despite her obvious raging snobbery and rather dodgy characterisation of other races(to put it mildly). I’d also like her liver.

See? All fantasy…

A lot of people on this thread would really like The Offing by Benjamin Myers, if you can get past the jealousy!

Soooo OP are you some kind of magic creature here to make our wishes come true??

@Inextremis, you're living my perfect life!

@grey12

Soooo OP are you some kind of magic creature here to make our wishes come true??

I wish!

I can't make my own dreams come true, let alone anyone else's.

No harm in dreaming though is there?

I'm just amazed at how many have a similar dream to my own. Cottage in the countryside/by the sea, peace and quiet, pottering about, just enough money to be comfortable but not loaded.

I'd live somewhere that was self-repairing, so that I'd never have to deal with stuff like boilers breaking down, or mice getting in. Also there'd be someone very trustworthy to take over dealing with my finances.
It would be. in a town near the sea, and there'd be a nice cafe at the beach, but parking would never be an issue, and it wouldn't be rammed with tourists. Maybe I'd walk there and get a taxi back. Actually, I'd have a beach hut there so wouldn't need to be humping gear around.
The town would have a few theatres and a cinema and a good choice of pubs ( some with music/comedy nights) and restaurants. It would be quite cosmopolitan and have a nice Mediterrean/Asian shop where I could get fresh herbs and spices and interesting fruit and vegetables. There'd also be some indie boutiques, and maybe a shopping centre not too far away with Primark , TK Maxx, M&S and a few other chains so I could get clothes easily. It would have a decent public transport system and on a direct train line to London. Cabs would be available if I decided at the last minute that I didn't want to drive home from somewhere, even after midnight.
There'd be lots of places for walks nearby without having to drive for more than about 15 mins to get there.
So that's the area I want to be in, I'll need to think about the actual house!

Wow what a lovely post! Ok am going totally different in my hopes and dreams!

I'd like to move to Ibiza and live in a modern house with a glass fence that faces thebbeach🏖

I'd walk on the white sand in the morning before breakfast and work up an appetite by collecting beautiful shells. 🐚🐚 and sometimes upcycling or making beautiful jewellery with it that people would admire and buy as it was so unique.

I'd write my feminist /humanist book and give women the tools to change how women are treated and totally improve women's lot and make them (and neon communicate better) We'd be totally creative of a new world and appreciate each other 🙏🙏

I'd invite friends over to stay and we would have full on party benders meeting fascinating people and being loving and kind to each other.

They would go home after a week and Id enjoy the laughs and memories as I sat watching the sunset in fabulous metallic shoes, drinking a cocktail and admiring my golden tan!

I'd go to a friends for dinner and have seafood fresh from the ocean and eat vegan chocolate cake with raspberries and seasonal exotic fruit! 🍒🍇🍍
I'd have a cute dog that I could take around in my boho bag with tassels and braid my friends hair for fun whileplaging 80s tunes and dancing and trying on different makeup before going to a cool club and dancing til the early hours!! 💅💄👯‍♂️💘🥂👅

@PrisonerofZeroCovid
"I would have a lover who is besotted by me, but who travels a lot so I don't have to see him more than 2 weeks a month."

I did not realise this was my fantasy but YES!

Ok, so my perfect life was originally me living alone in my remote cottage, but the recent posts have made me think that I too wouldn't mind a visiting lover.

I'd like a bearded outdoorsy type with more than a passing resemblance to the older Aidan Quinn () , good with his hands (in all respects), who in addition to adoring me, would do all the DIY and odd jobs around the place on his occasional visits.

Oh and just in case anyone doesn't know who Aidan Quinn is
any excuse to post a photo of him

In my perfect life we wouldn't be struggling to TTC and we'd have a lovely little family of our own. Outwith that I do love the life that we have but a bigger house with a huge garden wouldn't go amiss!

I'm going to break the trend and say my perfect life would be in a city. I currently live in South London. I would work as a freelance copywriter, I'm trying to get to this point in real life. In my imaginary life I would be very confident cause I would have built up years of experience, and I'd have a good network of clients/work contacts. I'd have a lovely office at home to work in and everyone would leave me alone. I'd keep my kids and my DH, but would like him to work standard office hours so that he was around at the weekend and in the evenings. We would have had Grandparents living nearby and wouldn't have had to cope with deaths. I would be able to drive and afford a car, this is way beyond me IRL for various reasons. I would earn very well and have a lovely pension pot. I would be able to pay someone else to do my cleaning and ironing. We would be able to go on holidays abroad a couple of times a year and there wouldn't be covid. I would naturally like exercise and my kids would eat most things, so I wouldnt mind cooking when I had the time. I would have a natural gift for making things look good at home and I would be good at art. I may even have a side hustle making clothes or similar. I would be savvy and noone would take me for a fool, including my kids.