Life by the sea

Posted on April 16, 2007
Filed Under - leaving the rat race |

I’ve really enjoyed my time in Cornwall and I think this might be the change, the therapy that I need. Everyone was friendly and laid back, and it’s catching! Usually I am quite uptight around people but this weekend I really enjoyed chatting with people in shops, cafes, taxis and so on, asking their advice and finding out about life in the area.

In Cornwall, people seem to have time for each other. They aren’t rushing around thinking me, me, me, I’m so important. Wages are very low and people work hard to get by. No-one is there for the money, they are there for the lifestyle. This creates an ethos of helping each other out and having a relaxed, go-with-the-flow attitude towards life.

Most of the people I met were not Cornwall born and bred. They have made the move from the city and forged a new life by the sea, often with their own businesses. For example, there’s a guy called Jeff who owns a newsagent on the main street in Newquay. He came down from Reading sixteen years ago and says he hasn’t looked back. Another bloke in a skate and surf shop told me he turned up in an old VW a few years ago and never left.

One thing that makes me giggle about Newquay is the number of people trundling around town on skateboards. In Newquay, skateboarding isn’t just a sport, it’s a perfectly acceptable form of transportation. You see people skating down the street with a supermarket bag in each hand. As a skateboarder myself, this is very encouraging.

And even in the middle of a tourist town like Newquay, it’s so easy to get away and enjoy the incredibly beautiful Cornish landscape. Rolling hills, rugged cliffs, sandy beaches - it’s all right there. So yes, I can definitely see myself living in this area. Now I just need to work out how to do it.

Stumble it!

Comments

One Response to “Life by the sea”

  1. anime14 on August 7th, 2007 11:24 pm

    That sounds really peaceful. Like a very nice place 2 live.

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