Closing one door, opening another.

On the first of July I locked the door of my little red cottage behind me for the last time.

What started as a summertime housing solution in 2013 turned into 2 years of waking up to sea view in the middle of what I used to call my little paradise, where I took care of the gardens as well as the rental of a couple of summer cottages.

It was a dream come true. 

I had always wanted a little house of my own surrounded by nature.

I had 2 greenhouses at my disposal where I could grow my own food,  the beach at 50m from my doorstep, 

and I could go for walks in the nature reserve bordering the property without even meeting a single person.

It was a lot of work and took me a lot of time, but it was worth it.

But when the man who used to share my little paradise with me bought himself his own slice of paradise and gave me a key, my own paradise lost its glory and all of a sudden the reasons to hold on to it didn't outweigh the reasons to leave anymore.

I will miss the mulberry tree, the plum- and the apple trees, the blackberries and the figs,

I'll miss the early spring breakfasts & lunches in the greenhouse, soaking up the sun behind the glass before it's warm enough to sit outside.

I will miss the beautiful sunsets from my kitchen window and the sound of the waves ...

But nothing beats new-found freedom after letting go of too many responsibilities.

And there's nothing better than the energy boost a change always seems to bring along!

So now ...

Are there changes you know you need to make?

Isn't it time you let go of responsibilities that aren't yours to take?

Isn't it time to listen to your heart?

Why not today?

PS: That's really all it takes: "Why not today?" Lotta and I made posters and postcards with exactly that phrase on them (in Swedish though). So helpful to put up on your mirror or fridge as a reminder!