I really enjoyed reading this. I'm not the kind of person to dream about moving to other places, especially when I'm pretty happy to be where I am (a great thing!), but every now and then it'll cross my mind in the form of "what if I had moved to X?" -- dreaming not about a future castle in the sky but a parallel life, a could-have-been. It is fun to think of what different lives we could live!
I spend so much time dreaming and planning of moving to another country. I send my husband real estate listings all the time. We went to Italy for the first time this summer and we made a trip to Narni because I had my whole life there planned out based on internet daydreams. Before going I virtually walked through town on google maps and had multiple homes picked out online. When we went it was all I had imagined but my kids are in high school so not a great time to move them. But maybe one day. We even ate bread from the ancient forno that must be right near the bookshop. I am so excited for your adventure!!
You’re a woman after my own heart! Yes, the forno is around the corner from the future bookshop. So I’m sure you must have walked right by my green door. Maybe someday we will be neighbours!
I’m amazed at your sense of adventure! Did you ever miss being closer to extended family, as in grandparents for your children? Or was it unfettered and free from too many attachments? Just wondering your thoughts about this.
Being far from family is the hardest thing about living abroad. We’re fortunate that the grandparents on both sides make the effort to visit and keep in touch with the grandkids. My mom even joined Snapchat to chat with my daughter. But it’s still hard to miss so many family moments. I wrote about all the things you give up moving abroad here: https://open.substack.com/pub/escapetothebookshop/p/a-beautiful-existence-or-a-full-life
I completely get this! Probably my entire life (comes from always having my nose in a book as a child), I would imagine living <here> whenever I traveled somewhere. So, no, we never lived on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, or in Washington DC, or on a lake in the Ozarks, or in Montreal. Not Frankfurt, Paris, London, in a wee cottage in Devon. When I got old enough to actually pick up and go somewhere on my own, I started doing that– and still imagining the routines I might have in the places I haven't lived.
After 25 years of marriage to the same guy, I learned last year that he plays a similar, yet slightly different mental game. When we stop in front of a real estate office and scan the property postings in the window (in Nice, Ljubljana, Vienna, Trieste, Prague, Lyon, Riga, Aarhus, Chicago, Évora, Krakow, ....) I am thinking about how I'd renovate the bathroom and the distance to the next food market. *He* is thinking about opening a bed and breakfast and what local activities are attractive and how to find a local farmer to deliver honey and cheese.
I would love to walk in your shoes! I lived in Sweden 3 years and still long to return. I also loved the same cities where you have traveled or lived🤚👍!
Seems like a great way to live. I'm contemplating moving to Sweden for a while. My friends think I'm nuts doing this at 65. Amsterdam could have been an option too, but my only child and his wife have moved to Stockholm last year and I don't think they will ever come back to Canada ;-) They love it there. P.S. Inspiring post and beautiful photographs by the way. Bless you all and good luck with the dream Book Shop.
Best of luck with your move! You’re not nuts at all. We know tons of people who are contemplating retiring in Italy, and usually if there’s one thing that holds them back, it’s the distance from children and grandchildren. In your case, that’s part of the draw, so why not? It will be amazing.
I'm not a daydream person. At all. I'more like a "grounded" person. But I must say I love the way you share your dreams with us, the ones accomplished and the ones that might stay just like dreams forever.
There's something we have clearly in common though, which is the delight of planning. I couldn't agree more that planning is part of the fun.
Hi Isa, I'm glad you enjoyed it. One of the best things about Substack for me is the peek inside other people's brains, especially when they work very differently from mine.
Yes, we picked it because it was affordable, and on the train line to Dublin. I really want to go back someday and see more of the country. Any specific places you recommend?
I live in North Kerry so I am biased and recommend Kerry and Cork region. Also love Kilkenny city as it's my home county and is on the trainline to Dublin. There are so many beautiful places in Ireland but sourcing accommodation is a major issue.
What fun adventures you have had over the years. I hope that we can get to Italy this September. Big news is we have moved to Larkspur Colorado. We lived in Arizona 46 years so this will be our new adventure. Love your adventures so keep taking pictures and keep writing . Love you ❤️❤️ aunt Debra
So did you live in all these exotic places as an American citizen, and if so, how difficult of a feat is that to accomplish? And yes, haha, by the time I read close to the end of your post, I was wondering about your time spent in reality vs. dreams, a thought thread your therapist obviously recognized. But, there's something about dream planning the future that births the realities we do eventually embrace, so it must be a necessary, integral part of life!!
I loved reading this. I’ll want to think more about it, but my first instinct is that there’s something very valuable in imagining and planning for different possibilities. Good for you!
I do that too! Imagine living in another country...actually in a castle in France ! I enjoy reading your posts and seeing your pictures! Thanks so much for sharing!
I really enjoyed reading this. I'm not the kind of person to dream about moving to other places, especially when I'm pretty happy to be where I am (a great thing!), but every now and then it'll cross my mind in the form of "what if I had moved to X?" -- dreaming not about a future castle in the sky but a parallel life, a could-have-been. It is fun to think of what different lives we could live!
I completely agree! The world is multifarious, and I’d love a peek at all those parallel universes where I’m living different lives.
I spend so much time dreaming and planning of moving to another country. I send my husband real estate listings all the time. We went to Italy for the first time this summer and we made a trip to Narni because I had my whole life there planned out based on internet daydreams. Before going I virtually walked through town on google maps and had multiple homes picked out online. When we went it was all I had imagined but my kids are in high school so not a great time to move them. But maybe one day. We even ate bread from the ancient forno that must be right near the bookshop. I am so excited for your adventure!!
You’re a woman after my own heart! Yes, the forno is around the corner from the future bookshop. So I’m sure you must have walked right by my green door. Maybe someday we will be neighbours!
I’m amazed at your sense of adventure! Did you ever miss being closer to extended family, as in grandparents for your children? Or was it unfettered and free from too many attachments? Just wondering your thoughts about this.
Cheryl
Being far from family is the hardest thing about living abroad. We’re fortunate that the grandparents on both sides make the effort to visit and keep in touch with the grandkids. My mom even joined Snapchat to chat with my daughter. But it’s still hard to miss so many family moments. I wrote about all the things you give up moving abroad here: https://open.substack.com/pub/escapetothebookshop/p/a-beautiful-existence-or-a-full-life
I completely get this! Probably my entire life (comes from always having my nose in a book as a child), I would imagine living <here> whenever I traveled somewhere. So, no, we never lived on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, or in Washington DC, or on a lake in the Ozarks, or in Montreal. Not Frankfurt, Paris, London, in a wee cottage in Devon. When I got old enough to actually pick up and go somewhere on my own, I started doing that– and still imagining the routines I might have in the places I haven't lived.
After 25 years of marriage to the same guy, I learned last year that he plays a similar, yet slightly different mental game. When we stop in front of a real estate office and scan the property postings in the window (in Nice, Ljubljana, Vienna, Trieste, Prague, Lyon, Riga, Aarhus, Chicago, Évora, Krakow, ....) I am thinking about how I'd renovate the bathroom and the distance to the next food market. *He* is thinking about opening a bed and breakfast and what local activities are attractive and how to find a local farmer to deliver honey and cheese.
Whoa.
I love that you discovered this after 25 years of marriage! Proof that people and life can always surprise you.
I would love to walk in your shoes! I lived in Sweden 3 years and still long to return. I also loved the same cities where you have traveled or lived🤚👍!
I hope you make it back to Sweden someday!
Me, too!
Seems like a great way to live. I'm contemplating moving to Sweden for a while. My friends think I'm nuts doing this at 65. Amsterdam could have been an option too, but my only child and his wife have moved to Stockholm last year and I don't think they will ever come back to Canada ;-) They love it there. P.S. Inspiring post and beautiful photographs by the way. Bless you all and good luck with the dream Book Shop.
Best of luck with your move! You’re not nuts at all. We know tons of people who are contemplating retiring in Italy, and usually if there’s one thing that holds them back, it’s the distance from children and grandchildren. In your case, that’s part of the draw, so why not? It will be amazing.
Thank you for your encouragement!
I'm not a daydream person. At all. I'more like a "grounded" person. But I must say I love the way you share your dreams with us, the ones accomplished and the ones that might stay just like dreams forever.
There's something we have clearly in common though, which is the delight of planning. I couldn't agree more that planning is part of the fun.
Thanks for this beautiful text.
Hi Isa, I'm glad you enjoyed it. One of the best things about Substack for me is the peek inside other people's brains, especially when they work very differently from mine.
You guys are making me dream.
Let’s all encourage each other in our dreams. ❤️
Been doing what you're doing all my life. Well met, fellow traveler!
Lovely to meet a kindred spirit.
Dordogne is still on my list of potential places....
We really need to at least visit someday.
Was Mullingar the only place you lived in Ireland?
Yes, we picked it because it was affordable, and on the train line to Dublin. I really want to go back someday and see more of the country. Any specific places you recommend?
I live in North Kerry so I am biased and recommend Kerry and Cork region. Also love Kilkenny city as it's my home county and is on the trainline to Dublin. There are so many beautiful places in Ireland but sourcing accommodation is a major issue.
Thanks for the tips! Yes, Ireland is impossibly beautiful. And so green.
What fun adventures you have had over the years. I hope that we can get to Italy this September. Big news is we have moved to Larkspur Colorado. We lived in Arizona 46 years so this will be our new adventure. Love your adventures so keep taking pictures and keep writing . Love you ❤️❤️ aunt Debra
I’m excited for you! I always think a new place unlocks a new version of yourself.
Oh, how I dream of living in Greece!
Yes, Greece would be amazing. I want to at least visit some day!
So did you live in all these exotic places as an American citizen, and if so, how difficult of a feat is that to accomplish? And yes, haha, by the time I read close to the end of your post, I was wondering about your time spent in reality vs. dreams, a thought thread your therapist obviously recognized. But, there's something about dream planning the future that births the realities we do eventually embrace, so it must be a necessary, integral part of life!!
We have Italian passports as well as American ones, which makes living in Europe much easier.
I loved reading this. I’ll want to think more about it, but my first instinct is that there’s something very valuable in imagining and planning for different possibilities. Good for you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Very true, planning is great practice for the future.
I do that too! Imagine living in another country...actually in a castle in France ! I enjoy reading your posts and seeing your pictures! Thanks so much for sharing!
Aw, I’m glad I’m not the only one.