I love our new life in the Blue Mountains. Waking to a heavy veil of silence, the air so crispy-fresh that I can feel my lungs celebrate when I inhale, desperate after years of inner-city living to consume the sparkling prana. I love the school run where strangers smile hello and artistic-looking parents in paint-smeared jeans drop artistic-looking children.
Birdsong permeates the village and in one day several seasons can pass and I love them all. I walk everywhere marvelling over big kookaburras and the sound of lawn mowers instead of aeroplanes overhead. The smell of freshly cut grass.
After so many years of talking about moving to the country, we fled Sydney. Developers taking over our street and the towering apartment blocks were squashing us. I felt sadness watching a lot of the working artists’ studios closing as the apartments mushroomed. An ongoing bullying case at my daughter’s school – too many toxic environmental pollutants in the air and toxic situations. Life is too fragile to keep trying to make the intolerable work. We fled hurriedly, like characters in a fairytale, leaving behind my roses, writing shed, our good friends, but knowing it was time.
I wanted my daughter to enjoy the childhood I had been privileged to have: a small village with chimney smoke fire and ethereal mist. A village where the trees stand guard and healthy-looking children are surrounded by the changing seasons and a caring community. I wanted her to run free in the woods and not become part of the concrete dragon we had escaped. Without my Tasmanian midlands childhood, I could never have written Poet’s Cottage.
I wanted Daisy at ten to have that depth of life experience. I was weary of smog and bringing in washing streaked black from plane fuel. The air felt as if it was choking our family and our life.
On the Taurus Scorpio Full Moon, we settled the sale of our house. The date was my birthday, 27 October, which was a mystical synchronicity to my family and rounded our city time perfectly, for the day we settled the purchase, all those years ago, was also 27 October. I see our current home in the mountains as a gift from the universe.
I know this velvet silence will bring my current book to life. I delight in sitting on my new deck, listening to the sound of birds and watching ladybirds and butterflies as I write.
Blackheath Rhododendron Festival Queen for 2015 Eleni Vergotis
Being among the trees and gazing upon the panoramic mountain views feels like returning home. We now live in a village I have been escaping to for years and which I used as inspiration for my mystery novel, Currawong Manor.
On my last visit here, I literally felt roots from my feet grow deep into the soil and spread outwards. I knew the time must be approaching that we would find our mountain home . Shortly afterwards, we did find her. She is a grand old mountains lady, a 1920s character weatherboard and I feel a deep joy every day to have finally, after so many years of yearning, to have become a part of this village and country life.
Wow how exciting Josie, congrats! You know how much I love the mountains and we are lucky enough to get up there quite a bit as we are now approaching one year tomorrow since we moved to the foot of the mountains. Speaking of synchronicity, can you believe it is 11 years ago that we were working together over Christmas? How funny 🙂 glad to hear you guys are doing so well, have a wonderful Christmas! Love from me, hubby and Mum 🙂 xx
Julieanne, has it really been eleven years? That is super-scary! Those years have flashed past. We love life above the clouds. Every time I ask Daisy and David what their favourite part is – they both say the silence. I really feel happier than I have done for years. Some people thrive on the energy of the city and I always love visiting Sydney but when I get back off the train, inhale the pristine air and feel the shimmering energy of the bush I feel so joyous. We thought we would miss the coast terribly as David dives but everything else more than compensates for not being near the ocean. Much love to you and your family. Say hello to your mum! Christmas blessings. xx
Hi Josephine! So wonderful to hear that you are all feeling so happy and settled now. It is so important to do what you know you need to do – good on you! I do miss our rendezvous on the bridge in the mornings though. Much love to you all, Vanna xxx
Hello Vanna, I miss seeing your wonderful smile as well. Thankfully we can still connect on our blogs and social media. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Have you read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert? I am sure you would find it inspiring. xx
I’m so happy for you, TP. This post is as always evocative and heartfelt. I love that you have found this wonderful new home and realised a dream that so many of us harbour. I want to be there too! Big love to you all. I can feel that mountain air on my face. What joy! Flourish, darling girl. xxoo