Shared Earth Living

Co-creating a More Beautiful World

Co-Creating a More Beautiful World

Back to the Land

Country Life Has Changed Me. Here’s How

After 9 years of city living I have finally escaped the urban hustle in favour of the country. Here’s one way that country life has changed me so far. And it’s not what you think. It’s official. I am a scruff bag.  I was hardly an advertisement for fashion when I lived in city centre Madrid. But living on a...

living on a boat

Back to the Land

Exploring Life Afloat: Boat vs House Part 2

Continuing on from my last post, I share the ups and downs to living on a boat. Will I go back to life on terra firma or is boat life here to stay?  When I first started this boat life adventure, I had the luxury of being able to work from the boat. This made the transition to living afloat...

Back to the Land

Exploring Life Afloat: Boat vs House Part 1

Since moving from the city centre Madrid to my native lands of rural Lancashire and swapping a warehouse-converted-loft for a narrowboat, I have heard the same thing from many people:  ‘I have always dreamt about living on a boat’. It seems that narrowboat life is the romantic dream of many of us.  In this post I want to share more...

Authentic Living / Back to the Land

Homecoming

On losing home and rediscovering it once again, loss and failure, renewal and rebirth. This is a distilled version my journey so far. This post originally featured in Gather Zine, a magazine for writers and readers alike who have an interest in literature, ecology, wellbeing, and spirituality. I am honoured to have my writing included! I left home at age...

working at a farm shop

Back to the Land

Rebirth Part 2: Working at a Farm Shop

From flogging flowers and planting pumpkins, to driving tractors and making friends with a 93 year old, here’s what it’s like working at a farm shop. In this post I continue my quest for employment in the rural area of Garstang, Lancashire. I had tried my luck in countless other avenues in the village that hadn’t worked out. Now it...

finding work in a rural village

Back to the Land

Rebirth Part 1: Finding Work in a Rural Village

Who knew that finding work in a rural village could be so eventful! In this post share how began to put down rural roots in the village of Garstang by going on a quest for ‘a little job in the village’. Despite the incessant rain of the worst spring and summer in living memory (literally!), the sun is coming out...

Authentic Living / Back to the Land

The Big Mistake I Made When Following My Dream 

Seven months into this narrowboat life.  I am sitting on my fold out table looking out at the water from my floating living room.  The early morning sunlight blinds me a little as I write. I can hear the twinkling song of  birds that I am yet to be able to identify. It is a crisp spring morning; finally some...

Back to the Land

Six Months Living on my Narrow Boat: How is it Going?

What is life like living on my narrow boat? How am I adapting to this new change of lifestyle? What have these cold winter months been like on living on board? Read on to find out! It doesn’t seem like it has only been six months since I have been back in the UK. Life moves on quickly and takes...

Back to the Land

When Dreams Come True

Anyone who has been following this journey of mine for the past few years may be feeling my pain and disappointment at the recent turn of events. To have boldly announced my dreams to the world and have them come crashing down in full view is indeed a lesson in humility.  Yet in a strange twist of fate, as one...

Authentic Living / Back to the Land

When Dreams Collapse 

This post is the post that I never thought I would be writing.  After three and a half years of dreaming of going back to the land, of writing about it and sharing it, my worst case scenario has come true. The dream has collapsed.  Hence my silence over the last three months.  Not really knowing the best way to...