A Small Amount Of Work and a Magnificent Tart
Next Door had a gentleman caller late last night. On a motorbike, if you please. Yes, it’s a slow news day today chez nous.
After a lazy day yesterday, where our biggest achievement was walking down the hill to the village to buy some binbags, I put my road shoes on this morning and headed off for a run through the village and up the road towards Mont Caly. Very hot it was too – by 9 am, the mountains were shimmering with heat haze and as I write this I can feel the pressure of a welcome thunderstorm on the way. One of the many joys of being here are the regular thunderstorms that can go on for hours.
Being here is very much a lifestyle choice for us. Some of the time is holiday for me, but the majority is business as usual when it comes to work. Covid has done me a huge favour as my clients are all used to having meetings with me on Zoom, which has made the transition much easier than it perhaps might have been, pre pandemic.
I spend my working days helping my clients to articulate, plan and achieve the lifestyles they want. Nonetheless, it was gratifying when the news that I was taking off to the alps for a month last summer (and intended to continue doing so for longer periods each year) was met with not only overwhelming approval, but also the acknowledgment that I was practising what I preached.
It’s a wonderful way to live. Client meetings on the balcony in the sunshine, with the mountains as the backdrop take on a different feel. I find myself feeling less obliged to be working every minute of the day – at home I’m guilty of locking myself away in the office even if I don’t necessarily need to.
Here I am focused for shorter bursts as there are other compelling things I want to fit into the day. Like popping down into the village for a bit of lemon meringue pie and a glass of Roussette – my favourite Savoie wine.
Equally, it requires more organisation too, as some parts of the company are still being run by my wonderful support team in the UK – and I couldn’t do it without them.
We made this happen, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling remarkably lucky that we’re privileged enough to be able to do so.