The great outdoors

A couple of years ago, my husband Regan and I bought some bare land up on a hill with gorgeous views overlooking the Kaipara Harbour and surrounding countryside.

It’s always been his dream to have land to grow a decent amount of food on, along with tending animals. Having grown up in cities, I never really appreciated the countryside. I thought that living in the country would be boring, messy, and lonely. Contradicting this were wonderful adventures I had growing up in the great outdoors including camping for thirty nights around eastern Canada and the US with my family when I was twelve, backpacking through the Australian outback by myself after graduating from University and spending a few months living in Montana surrounded by stunning mountains and a lake.

Our spot has a breathtaking view at any time of the day, but especially at sunset:

I’ve been slowly moving further out of the city over the last twelve years. I still love being in a city: the liveliness, the energy, the fast-pace, the endless sights and offerings. I celebrated my 30th in dreamy Paris, have cried when I’ve departed New York and London, and want to return to Beijing and Rio de Janeiro. Cities fascinate me but their restlessness exhausts me after a little while.

I’ve come to learn to really appreciate stillness, quietness, fresh air, being refreshed and inspired by being outdoors. I’m learning so much about plants, seasons, chicken raising, sheep behaviour and bees thanks to my husband’s hard work at our land.

The internet has dramatically changed the kind of loneliness that would have been experienced out in the country years ago. I’ve been happily proved wrong that the countryside is boring: there’s always changes, things to be done and new discoveries that can be enjoyed.

And soon, very soon, we will call this place our home… and I’ll get to enjoy the view out my office window instead of just seeing a building and fence out my window. Cannot wait!

If you’re interested in more photos of our place, see our photo blog: Sunset Views.