Simon’s story : My parents had a small cottage in The Peak District, which they used for walking holidays. After I was born, they went there more often. In the end, we would pack up the car every Friday afternoon after school and drive for 3 hours to get to the peace and quiet of our lovely cottage. During the week, my parents would work in the IT industry near London, and we would go to expensive schools. We would all work long hours and travel long distances to get to work or school. We hardly saw each other.
Every Sunday evening, we would lock up the cottage. But it got harder and harder to leave : we hated leaving our village friends and the lovely views. So, last year, my Dad said « I’ve had enough ». He sold our big house near London and my parents gave up their jobs. We now live in our little cottage home.
The best change for me is that I’m not in a large class in a huge school. I go with my brothers and sisters to a small local school. After school, we get on our bikes and go around to see our friends. Everything is just so different. We feel calm and happy. I spend more time outside which means I have less time for my computer. I have less but to me it seems like so much more. I’m so glad we changed our lives.