It all starts with a white stone farmhouse nestled in the crook of the beautiful misty moors. Semi-isolated, I’m at least half a mile from my nearest neighbour and the surrounding area is a mix of agricultural land bordered by forests. The hills are green and lush and swarming with deer, badgers and fox.
In the mornings the mist rolls over the hills and surrounds the house but is quickly replaced by warm sunshine. I live in the house alone with my beloved dogs – a motley crew of silly, sweet natured greys who all happen to have excellent recall (I did say it was a fantasy) to the extent that they roam free off the lead and rarely leave my side. Our home is old, large, creaky and comfortable with flagstone floors, stone fireplaces and a French-style kitchen, at the centre of which is a huge wooden table scratched and marked with wax. The room is edged with herb benches, a pantry and open shelves. There is no mess or clutter in the house but it’s not polished or over-decorated. It is clean and characterful without being twee and everything in it has meaning or purpose. At the back of the house is a south-facing terrace that traps the sun all day, with steps leading down into a walled garden. When you stand on the terrace you can see across the moors for miles and miles and watch wild ponies pass by on the hills. Ivy climbs the outside walls and there is a fire-pit on which I cook my food most evenings – simple dishes like baked potato cooked on the embers in foil with crushed garlic and roasted broccoli.
In my fantasy there is no corporate job. The house is paid for and my outgoings are small. I make a living as a wildlife photographer and artist. Occasionally I make wildflower wreaths with the foliage and flowers from my garden and I leave them in the local village next to an honesty box. Living in such a rural area the local trust also pay to report on the state of the local wildlife, changes in behaviour patterns, population, migration etc. In my fantasy I am an expert on the local animals but I do each of these jobs for sheer love and pleasure, and am accountable to no one. My time is my own.
I am a slightly fitter, healthier version of myself. I have strong, toned limbs born from striding across the moors with my dogs every day, rosy cheeks from the crisp air and soft brown freckles from the Winter sun. I never give my weight or appearance much thought and rarely wear make-up. I never feel self-conscious. I don’t really follow fashion and instead I have a small wardrobe of high-quality, well-made pieces. I keep the same clothes for years and darn the patches when they eventually wear though. I wash my clothes with a drop of essential oils.
My fantasy life gives me all the solitude and independence I need but when I crave human company I can rely on one of my many local friends, a mix of couples and individuals of all ages, genders and backgrounds. I have a strong social circle made up of interesting people from all walks of life. We support and encourage one another, we tease and cajole, we help with the boring and the practical. We often meet at someone’s house for dinner or share a bottle of wine in the garden. Some nights we are talkative and lively, playing silly games and telling stories. Other nights we sit in companionable silence and watch the sunset. We are close enough to feel like family, with no pressures or expectations of one another. In this circle everyone is valued. You don’t need to be the most beautiful, most creative, most intelligent or tell the wittiest jokes.
I go to bed tired from my active, life outdoors and sleep well in soft, linen sheets sprayed with lavender. Sometimes before bed I sit in my snug orangery at the front of the house with the heater on, sipping a warm brandy with the dogs dozing around me. The glasshouse is old and the panes are tinged green with moss. I light a candle and keep a telescope to watch the stars with, as the skies on the moors are so dark and clear, or I listen to the radio.
Oddly, in the fantasy there is no husband! I’m still trying to figure out that one, as I’m actually quite fond of mine…
This is the life I escape to in my head every day whilst walking the dogs. Am I a fool to think one day I might create this for myself?
Does anyone else feel like sharing their fantasy life?