Read Chapter 20 “Homeschooling Efforts”
Taking A Break
May 31st, 2019
Girls and I have decided to be spontaneous for a change and take a well-deserved half-term break from our current unpredictable London life. I badly needed a change of scenery and go somewhere where I wouldn’t worry about the money, the job, CV sending (all that I worry about every day).
I just wanted to disappear for a week. I was feeling somehow liberated from following Jim’s timetable, which was always packed with meetings, some more meetings and projects that often took forever to finish. I finally realized that I’m the boss of me and I’m able to do whatever I want and whenever I want.
Luckily for my shoestring budget, my least favourite airlines, Ryanair, had a flash sale. As I said, I was spontaneous, so we went to a place I’ve never been to before. Of course, the price of the ticket was a huge bonus but also this nagging longing for something different played a massive part in my decision. So, the girls and I ended up in Poland.
We flew to Bydgoszcz, which has the tiniest airport I’ve ever seen. The airport was surrounded by forest, and I swear to God I could smell the cow manure when we got off. Going through the customs and picking up our bag didn’t take longer than 15 minutes. What a great experience, right?
From the airport, I arranged a taxi collection, which dropped us off at the train station. The train station was newly decorated with shiny, freshly painted walls and just like the airport, it was small and compact. I must be having some London syndrome and expect everything to be gigantic and packed with thousands of people.
We managed to catch an earlier train to a small town called Wabrzezno. This word is unpronounceable, just like a lot of other Polish words; luckily, I booked the tickets online. The train journey took us only under 90 minutes. At Wabrzezno, the B&B’s owner’s daughter picked us up. On the way there, I learnt that she was also visiting for the half term with her ten-year-old son.
After 15 minutes of driving, she took a sharp left turn and immediately we ended up on a country dirt road with fields on both sides. I have to admit I was a bit scared for a second or two, wondering “What the fuck have I done?” But the moment the small red brick building surrounded by flowers emerged, my anxiety vanished. When we approached the driveway, I knew it was just the place I wanted to be in.
When I got off, I instantly started walking around. I found two small ponds, a park full of tall old trees, a bonfire place and amongst many things, a colourful wooden treehouse.
The owners also had an organic garden from where most of the ingredients for their divine home cooking came from.
The B&B interiors was a mixture of old and new, with a comfy red sofa in the middle of the guest room.
We were literarily in the middle of nowhere; the nearest shop was about a mile away. We had no transport, no TV and only the nature that surrounded us to keep the three of us entertained.
However, neither of us ran out of things to do. I managed to learn how to make bread, jam and sour pickles and cabbage. The owner ran cooking classes, which I happily joined. I finished reading two books and started on the third one (I must have been at the Uni. the last time I read two books in a week).
The girls were in and out, mostly playing with the owner’s grandson, who also lived in London.
I didn’t experience my usual fear over the girl’s safety; the place was secure, and hardly any cars passed by. That’s how remotely located we were.
Quite, peace, nature and time to be with myself and for myself was what I needed. I never thought I would ever in my life enjoy such an isolated setting, far away from the city’s hustle. I’m a city girl who loves the flashy lights, ambient noise, and the fact that the city never sleeps.
Each morning chirping birds woke me up. I never pay attention to chirping birds when I’m in London. The daily delicious home cooking included the most heavenly pies, made me put some weight back on. But I didn’t care anymore. Bring it on! Besides, I was confident I was going to lose all those extra kilograms once back in the hassle of my reality.
The quietness and peace that I was immersed in made my thoughts much clearer. Still feeling spontaneous and brave, I applied for a teaching job in Tenerife. I haven’t done teaching for a very long time but maybe teaching abroad is what would open the door to our future.
The girls said they wouldn’t mind moving to Tenerife and learning Spanish, making new friends, and getting to know new customs. Maybe that kind of compromise is the right solution for the three of us at the moment. We’ll see what life brings.
But for now, instead of my typical obsessing about the job, which I usually do after I send my CV out, I will just enjoy the quietness and stillness of the moment.