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Life’s Simple Pleasures

 

Last time I wrote, I promised you more about the quality of living that keeps me here in Italy.

Now, quality of living is very subjective and as such varies from person to person. For some people high flying job = lots of money = good quality of living. For me the equation is a little different.soldi

Don’t get me wrong, money is a very useful commodity and who couldn’t do with a little more, but it’s certainly not the be all and end all. As some friends of mine posted on facebook the other week, money can’t buy happiness but it can certainly make being miserable more comfortable or if you’re going to cry you may as well do it in your car rather than on a bicycle, or something along those lines.

Anyway, you get the gist. Money is a necessary evil but it just isn’t enough to make me get out of bed, trek to an anonymous office somewhere with a carriage full of equally listless commuters, and stay in the same place for the whole day while outside the sun is shining, and basically the world is going about its business without me.

fotolia_8651734_xs_300x200For me, quality of life is about getting the time to enjoy life’s little pleasures and to me that means taking my daughter to nursery, grabbing a coffee with a friend, going home to do some writing or translation work that I actually enjoy, inhaling the perfume from the garden that my husband has lovingly created for us as I jump up the steps to the front door and then finishing up in time for a trip to the park with my gorgeous girl. Living in Italy lets me do all this.libro-animato1

foto-parchi-urbaniThe parks are generally still for children and haven’t been taken over by yobs, having a coffee before you start work is the norm and being a qualified English mother tongue professional means that I can juggle my freelance timetable to fit in with family life.Caffe 1

I can almost hear some of you shouting in protest, ‘Where does this woman live? In a fairytale world? Get back to reality!” but you know what, I believe in fairytales and think you have to try and change your reality to suit you not the other way round.

Sarah Gudgeon, May 2014 – Mozzafiato Copyright

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