Those of you living elsewhere might view living in the middle of nowhere a dreamy existence. There is a real romantic air that comes with the idea of residing on a piece of farmland separated from neighbours by kilometers, and within a five minute drive to a breathtaking beach. But there is a reason why people who actually live in the sticks nearly always will tell you to be careful what you wish for. There are too many creature comforts we go with out to name, so here’s one of the ones I miss most, Silentnight Mattresses. Now, it is true that if I took some rather extreme measures I could probably get one of them out to my place, but that is just the point. Part of the glory of creature comforts is that they be accessible, and that does not involve great sums of money, or acts as difficult as leaping tall buildings in a single bound.
Getting even some of the more basic comforts can be a serious challenge. Whereas someone living in England might be able to pop into the local grocery and get a weeks worth of delicacies and staples, not so here in my little part of the world. Yes, I must admit it is Portugal, so these things do exist, it’s just that I will have to drive at least forty minutes to get certain groceries, and then venture to maybe two more to collect most of the others. Then, there is the issue of having fruits and veg that are not treated in anyway to lengthen their edibility. This translates into several trips per week to the market, or getting by with rubbery carrots, molded fruits, and limp lettuce. Now, this is the part where you have to weigh the pros and the cons. Obviously, I have decided that giving up luxury in place of beautiful surroundings and fantastic weather for seven months out of the year is my preference.
Still, there is a point to be made here, and tonight when you tuck yourself into your silentnight mattress, or the equivalent, you can ponder it for yourself. Given the chance, would you genuinely prefer to go without such luxuries, and choose a more elementary way of life? Because though it sounds ideal in theory, it is definitively not for everyone. Even I have my limit, and I know where it lies. As, I have friends living in Belize who sleep in hammocks out amongst the elements regularly.