3 Dreams You Can Now Make a Reality
If you are fed up with remote working, then you are probably in the wrong remote location —
Oh, to be free.
You never realise how much freedom you truly have until it is taken away from you. A thought that many of us have probably had the last year. But alongside this feeling of our freedom being snatched away from us, came another type of freedom….
Remember that feeling when you leave a holiday home after a blissful week or two by the sea, only to know that on Monday morning you will be back to real life?
Well, in case you haven’t realised yet, this no longer has to be life’s reality.
Have you considered actually moving to one of your favourite places in Ireland now that offices are closed and the “real-world” abandoned? Holiday homes can really become full-time homes.
We have the freedom to make that happen. To live somewhere we dream about every year.
The majority of workplaces have made it clear that there will be no big movement back to offices until at least summer 2021, with many discussing if there is a need for employees to return to offices at all.
We are facing an enormous societal shift that I expect was going to face us eventually, even before the current circumstance. If you are lucky enough to have a laptop and have the ability to work online, then this is the time when you should be making a move to a place that you love.
Consider a future that we are all online anyway, wouldn’t you prefer to wake up and love your surroundings? If there is one thing that I have learned over this time spent at home, is that I really need to love my home, and love the nature that surrounds it too. The only thing that clears my mind after hours of staring at a laptop is a walk in the fresh air, allowing the natural sway of nature to ground my thoughts. Check out my Instagram page below for more rural living appreciation.
We have all been reading about the negative effects of remote work. Whether it is back pain, screaming children, or the lack of social interaction.
Now,
Firstly, sitting in an office all day usually gives me back pain anyway, at least at home you won’t be questioned for doing some unusual stretches between emails.
Secondly, there is hope that schools will open again for good, so any little ones will be out of sight (at least for a few hours)
Thirdly, the ban on visiting other people heightens the feeling of isolation, and these limitations on social interaction will too be lifted. This means you can go back to your pilates class, football training, or start visiting friends again. And let’s face it, I’m sure there are some people in the office that you are only delighted not to have to make small talk with every day.
This brings me to those freedoms and dreams that are made possible by a future of remote working. Many things can arise from relocating to a rural part of Ireland. There are more support and opportunity offered to those on the outskirts of our country than many people could imagine. And I believe those who disagree are not utilising the full extent of the resources available.
3 Dreams You Can Now Make a Reality
1. Living peacefully beside the sea
If you research homes in the lesser populated areas of Ireland, you will quickly discover that rental prices and the cost of housing are significantly lower compared to our overcrowded cities. Apart from better value for money, you can often get a wonderful seaside location! One of the perks of remote working is that we can live anywhere. You will no longer be stuck in hours of traffic if you relocate to a beautiful rural location. This means you can wake up every morning and walk on the beach, dive in the ocean, or bring the surfboard or kayak out for a spin (if you’re not yet as active as you would like, check out number 2 on this list).
If you are like me, and always dream of being beside a beach, then start looking, because you can make this dream happen right now. All you need is you and your laptop (aka job)..and I suppose any other stragglers who want to join you. For an example of some ideal locations, take a look at my previous post about two rural Irish islands, Inishbofin and Inishturk, where life doesn’t get more peaceful.
2. Start something you are passionate about
Remote working means you are actually given more hours in your day for YOU! Take away all that travel time, and what are you left with? Free time you never had before. Now, relocate to a rural area to ensure you aren’t distracted by cars and shops. There is more time to concentrate on those things you always wished you had time for but never did. Maybe you wanted to improve your swimming abilities but thought it would be too much hassle to drive to the beach, or swimming pool? Now is your time to jump in. Many people in rural Ireland work on more crafts and spend more time outdoors because the slower pace of life allows it.
When we are watching other people be busy, we get the overhwhelming sense that we ourselves need to be keep busy. We ignore the tools that allow us to slow down and recharge in an effort to keep up with a false sense of rush.
3. Save money and start your own business
Many people over the past year have actually been able to save money. All the little outings and temptations have become scarce. What do you spend money on apart from the essentials right now? If you are living in a rural or remote area, this same phenomenon exists more often. Take living on one of the rural islands. There are no clothes shops, cinemas, or overpriced skinny caramel lattes. You have a shop, a pub or two, possibly a hotel, a post office, and one or two seasonal gift shops maybe. The unnecessary temptations that usually exist in everyday city life vanish.
Aside from being able to save more money from remote working and living, if you relocate to a remote part of Ireland, the government will actually give you money too (so to speak). Have you heard of the Department of Rural Regeneration and Development? If you have always dreamed of setting up your own business then this your go-to in rural locations. If you have dreamt of saving up and becoming your own boss, this is an incredible opportunity. See the following link for more details.
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/c5849b-rural-funding/?section=rural-regeneration-and-development
Something even more notable is that as part of the Rural Development Plan, the government is providing cash incentives for people to restore old rural properties. https://selfbuild.ie/featured/cash-incentives-to-restore-properties-in-rural-areas/
At this stage, I hope you have come to the realisation that many new opportunities have spiralled from remote working. It’s about not being afraid to make a change for the better. Make sure to take a look at all the incentives available for rural living and consider the new life we have been given as a positive one.
