Simplicity

When you take a quick glimpse at our lives here at Barbialla Nuova and compare it with our city lives in lovely South Boston, there's one key theme to how our current life differs. Simplicity.  We have been relishing in the simplicity of our lives here, and really allowing ourselves to live this 180-degree change to its full oppositeness. There have been a couple drawbacks to this (you can't put up a weekly blog post when you're mostly ignoring technology - whoops!), but for the most part it's been a great way to get to know our new home in the best possible way.

Besides the obvious fact that we're living on a farm rather than in the hustle and bustle of a city, here are some of the reasons we've been forced to simplicity:

1. No cell phones
2. Very slow internet connection
3. No vehicle
4. Five day wardrobe
5. No TV
6. No income

Doesn't this list seem generally negative? I think I would have thought so if I looked at it a couple of months ago. But au contraire!  I love (almost) everything on this list.  It eases the mind to have limited options and less going on. It's amazing to now know so clearly the difference between things we need and things we want. We have only spent money on food since we've been here (and barely any at that), and instead we've had time to read, and learn, and spend time with our new friends and neighbors - and of course, each other.  No TV means more reading, no cell phones means people need to actually be there when they say they will (how lovely!) and less clothes means no morning battle with myself over what to wear.

So with that, here is a list of the simple things that we are loving here at Barbialla:

1. fresh fruits and veggies
2. spending time outside every day
3. kind friends and neighbors
4. the delicious scent of wildflowers
5. wild cherry & mulberry trees
6. cute kids experiencing their first ladybug/apricot/snake in the grass
7. waking up to the rooster crow
8. one pot meals with 5 ingredients or less
9. gardening & hiking
10. books to read, sheltering arms, and a cozy bed

(To name just a few).

And here are some more simple meals and moments from our time here so far.

More to come next week - Happy Father's Day!!