Wow it’s been 10 months since we’ve moved to the farm and although it has gone super quickly, it also feels like we’ve always been here…if that makes sense?! I think having grown up here and having so many childhood memories has helped. Another thing that’s helped, was that as soon as we placed our furniture into the house it instantly felt like home again.
I wanted to pop on and share some of the things that I’ve learnt since we’ve moved onto the farm as a fun way to reflect on our journey so far. And to hopefully give an honest insight into what it’s like moving back to a family farm.
Good things take time
When we moved in I was chomping at the bit to make my mark on the house and gardens. And although we’ve managed to get some of these things done, there is most definitely still a very large list of things to do.It has been a bit of a reality check in that I have learnt to accept that good things take time and although we haven’t powered through the entire to-do list, we are making progress.
There is also nothing quite like planning a farm wedding to help get things tidied up as well! If you have big renovation plans, then I recommend writing down a list of everything you want done and working out if they are achievable. Then you can either plan to get them done or accept the fact that it can’t be changed for now (like the carpet wall in our other entrance way – yes it’s a thing!).
Making new friends is…kinda hard
So, a slight confession with this one…we have been pretty terrible with getting out and meeting new people in the area. We have the best intentions but haven’t actually followed up with much yet. Whoops!!! A big part of this is that there’s been a lot to get done on the farm, so we haven’t got out much! But, it is something that we are determined to get better at! And we have recently made some small steps in the right direction which is great.
As much as we love all our friends, it’s just not as easy to pop over and have a wine & dinner on a Friday when they live 5 hours away! So, if we want to hang out with anyone other than my parents (love them though) – then we definitely need to get better at meeting people. It has opened my eyes up to the fact that making new friends definitely isn’t that easy – but I’m sure we will get there!
Take time away from the farm
As much as I love coming home from work on a Friday and not leaving the farm until Monday morning, it’s important to get away from the farm. Especially for your significant other, who might not have left the farm for over a week. Farming is never just a job, its a lifestyle and way of life. So when you live and breathe the farm day in day it can be hard to step away and have a break. But it is super important to do that.
A lot of our friends live out of our area/region so it does make for a great excuse for us to get away. But even something as simple as going into town for a coffee date or a nice lunch can help as well. It’s something I recommend to other farming couples as its important to get away, take a breather and I know it’s really helped both of us!
It’s been the same but different living here
Moving here meant that I was coming back to my childhood home, which was great as it instantly felt normal. But at the same time, it has felt different to be back – but in a good way. I mean I’m not a little kid anymore so rather than having my old room, we’re in the master bedroom and it’s our furniture that fills the house now too. It’s also Freddie and I making the memories together compared with Mum, Dad, my sister and I. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely a good different that I’ve been feeling, but it’s also been a funny one to get my head around too.
It has also been quite exciting to be making new memories here and to be on this new journey. Nothing stays the same, so to be back here and on this journey has been super exciting. Different but exciting.
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing this journey with our friends and family, and of course here on the blog too! If you’ve moved to a new farm yourself I would love to know how your journey is going too. It’s always great to hear from others in similar situations and to bounce ideas on how you made things work.
Until next time,
L-J x
