A door to nature
Over the past few months, I have realised just how much I miss having my very own front door; a door that I can open up to the great outdoors.
You see, for most of my life, I’ve lived in detached, single-family homes. Homes where external doors opened to nature – not a staircase that led you down a flight (or more!) of stairs to yet another door. For most of my life, I’ve been able to walk out my front door and sit down on the porch or in the garden and soak in the sun. I could sit there sipping my coffee in the mornings – or my cocktail in the evenings – whilst surrounded by Mother Nature’s design.
But now, I only have windows to open to nature. If I want to sit outside and enjoy my morning coffee, I have to walk down several flights of stairs. And even then, I don’t have a private garden; I’d have to sit on the front steps of my building.
It is actually a hard adjustment to make. Much harder than I would have thought. In fact, I think that not having that easy access to nature has added to my feelings of gloom at times. I mean, there is something that lifts my spirits when I’m outside and when I’m feeling low and can’t find the energy to go into town, I miss out on the fresh air nature would provide. Certainly, I don’t think that a door to nature is the cure for all that ails me, but I do think that it would help. At least a little bit.
This realisation has led me to the decision that, if I find a job and get to stay in Scotland, I will need to find a new place to live. Somewhere with a private garden. Somewhere with a door that takes me directly to nature. Somewhere that I can sit outside and relax after a hard day’s work – or cool down after a long run. Now, I just need to find a job so that I can start looking for a new flat!
Yes, a door to nature. That’s what I want. And a job.
At the very least, you should have a balcony. I’ve begun preparing the front porch for evening sitting, but so far it’s been too cold and blustery for outdoor sitting. The chairs are there, however, ready for when it’s just too hot to sit inside. And my “from Hawaii” wind chimes will be within reach if I feel the need to make them sing.
Good luck on the job hunt and subsequent home hunt.
Yes, a balcony is the bare minimum I require! As long as I can sit in my out-of-doors space sipping my morning coffee in my PJs (yes, I know how redneck that is!) I’ll be happy!