WE FOLLOWED OUR HOLIDAY DREAMS
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you took the leap and turned a summer pipe dream into a reality? These three women did just that – and this is what happened next…
These women turned their holiday dreams into reality
‘Our hobby became our way of life’
There is nothing Kirstie Rowbotham enjoys more on a summer evening than a glass of rosé with her husband, overlooking the vines that they own.
My husband, Paul, and I have always been interested in wine and France. We had been on many holidays to the country, our knowledge and palates improving with each trip. However, for years, it was nothing more than a hobby.
Paul enrolled on a wine-tasting course in 2003. He had an enthusiastic teacher who told him how he’d travelled the world working in vineyards, learning the practical skills involved in wine making. The idea sounded very appealing and a
seed was planted in our minds. Soon after that, we made a decision.
We wanted to take a sabbatical and work in a vineyard in France for a year. We got in contact with a few places, finally settling on a small vineyard in the Lot valley, in the Cahors wine region. There, we helped with everything from pruning and tractor work to harvesting and bottling. It was a brilliant education. We were hooked.
In 2004, we got married in France then, when we’d returned to the UK, we had another ceremony. The next year, our first son, Benjamin, was born. But, going back to our old life was bittersweet. We were both dissatisfied with our jobs and missed the beautiful French scenery and laid-back lifestyle. Both naturally outdoorsy people, we struggled with returning to our daily working lives. We asked ourselves if this was how we wanted to spend the rest of our lives. The answer was an emphatic no!
Shortly after Benjamin was born, we were at a family party at my parents’ house. At the time, they were considering buying a holiday home and, after much discussion (and, of course, a few wines), the four of us hatched a plan.
We realised that, by pooling our resources, we would be able to afford to buy a vineyard in France. It would be an
When I think about the alternative corporate life, I know where I’d rather be
escape for them and a new life for us. We felt like it was now or never.
So, when Benjamin was nine months old, we bought our vineyard, Chateau la Tour de Chollet, in the Bordeaux region. The first evening we stayed there, gazing at the sea of vines on the gently rolling slope, was overwhelming, almost unbelievable.
Of course, running a vineyard is hard work, too. For the first few years, we didn’t take any time off and, while we employ a couple of experts to offer guidance, we more or less do everything ourselves. We have 30,000 vines and, what you do to one, you have to do to all of them, so it can be repetitive, manual work. However, when I think about the alternative corporate life, I know where I’d rather be.
We make two red wines, two white wines and a rosé, selling both in the UK and here in France. We do wine tours and tastings, and we’ve also renovated an apartment next door to our house, which we let out to holidaymakers. In 2007, we had our second son, Jacques, who was born in France. Both boys are more French than English; they’re fluent in the language and attend the local village school.
I’m amazed at and proud of how much we’ve achieved. Our boys are now 13 and 11, and I love watching them outside on their bikes with the freedom to roam and explore. It’s a wonderful place to raise our family. I’m so glad we can call it home. latourdechollet.com
‘My passion for Africa felt too overwhelming to ignore’
Overworked and unsettled, Holly Ledson needed a change. She fell in love with Africa – and has since found peace and fulfilment in a simple, joyful existence.
Deep in the Omo Valley, Ethiopia, sits my little lilac hut. Made of concrete and with just one room, it’s very simple; a mattress on the floor and washing hanging outside. Water arrives once a week and electricity is intermittent. I shower using a bucket and I cook on a charcoal stove. It’s a basic but brilliant existence, and I’ve never been happier.
I moved here three years ago. Before, I was living in London. I’d had a successful 15-year career in high-level positions for big retail brands. I really enjoyed city life, but always felt the itch to travel.
In 2012, I went on a trip to a remote part of Uganda, where I helped to run career workshops for local girls. Realising I could use my business skills to support people who didn’t have the opportunities we do was an eye-opening experience.
After three weeks, I returned to London, but Africa dominated my thoughts. I remember sitting in my flat overlooking the Thames, with all the mod cons money could buy, feeling empty and shallow. I was in my 40s and single, most of my friends had moved away and had families, while my own life revolved completely around work. But when I thought about my motive for earning money, I couldn’t come up with anything concrete. I questioned why I was so lonely in one of the busiest
cities in the world and, again, I was lost. I had headaches, digestive problems and felt extremely unsettled.
Very often, I wished I could escape to Africa. I peppered the next couple of years with trips there, and my passion became too overwhelming to ignore. After budgeting, I realised I could stop working, go back to Africa and live more simply, perhaps finding new ambitions like the girls I’d met in Uganda.
I was fearful of telling my parents my plans. After all, I was about to embark on a very unconventional journey. After
My old life seems a distant memory
two sleepless nights worrying, I picked up the phone. Naturally, they had reservations when it came to both my financial and personal security. However, when they told me they supported my decision, the relief was immense. They just wanted me to be happy.
In 2016, I took the leap. I resigned from my job, sold my flat and packed a bag, heading to the Omo Valley. As the night flight took off from Heathrow, I remember feeling complete release. We arrived at sunrise the next morning and I took a two-day road trip across the country, travelling through mountains and open landscape. I felt more empowered in that moment than I ever have before, realising I was able to do something against convention, something I never thought I could be capable of.
I spent the first few years volunteering with a charitable organisation. However, I have now set up my own charity, The Origin Charity, with a friend, which focuses on providing new opportunities in education for young people and for the economic empowerment of women. Often, a lot of overseas charity is ineffective. Volunteers arrive, build a school or throw money at problems, then leave, creating a handout culture. As a result, communities no longer know how to help themselves. This is what I want to change.
Of course, I miss home – my parents, electricity, ice cream and the ease of UK life. But living here has given me a new perspective. I arrived with a bag full of clothes, suncream and toiletries, most of which I haven’t touched. Back in the UK, many people have the TV on constantly, but Ethiopians talk and listen for hours, teaching me to treasure conversation and community. Sitting beneath mango trees as birds chirrup and frogs jump at my feet, my old life seems a distant memory. Here, I live in the moment and appreciate everything I have. theorigincharity.org
‘It is wonderful to live down the road from the sea’
Writer Cathy Rentzenbrink was yearning for a simpler life, so she and her family moved to the town where she grew up.
Every summer, me and my family would head to Cornwall to stay with my parents. We all thrived by the sea. My son, Matt, loved building sandcastles and looking for creatures in the rock pools and my husband, Erwyn, liked walking the coastal paths, listening to bird song. As we all relaxed and the days ticked by, I’d walk around the beautiful and historic seaside town of Falmouth, staring into the windows of all the estate agents.
I’d look at floor plans of the terraced houses built for sea captains that had views out over the harbour and imagine what it would be like to live in one. Or what about a converted barn in a field down near Lands End? Or a tiny stone house that used to be a chapel? Wouldn’t we be healthier and happier with all that fresh air? It was a dream that seemed impossible. Our work, our lives and our friends were in London. At the end of a couple of weeks of holiday, we’d bundle into the car and go back up the motorway to real life. After a few days back home in our flat, I’d forget I’d ever thought of living anywhere else.
Then my dad got pneumonia. He recovered well but it was terrifying and concentrated my mind. I’d had plenty
of years in London; what I really wanted now was to be close to my family. What if we tried a simpler life down in Cornwall? Erwyn was keen. He knew how much it meant to me, and liked the idea of more space at home and spending more time in nature. Matt, now nine, was upset at the thought of leaving his friends but
We don’t need to go on holiday - anything we could possibly want is on our doorstep now
excited to spend more time with Granny and Grandad. We decided to go for it. Because I’d spent every holiday staring into the windows of estate agents, I was already well informed.
Tempting though it was to imagine life in the country, we decided on Falmouth as the Cornish winters are wet and long, and I knew we’d all enjoy having shops, a cinema and a train station on our doorstep. We didn’t end up in a sea captain’s house but we found a lovely 1930s semi-detached place right beside the park where I used to play as a child. ‘We’ll have a garden,’ said Matt. ‘And stairs!’
It is wonderful to live down the road from both my parents and the ocean. I run along the seafront, and the ever-changing colours of the water, the waves going in and out, never fail to lift my mood. Plus we don’t need to go on holiday any more! Everything we could possibly want is on our doorstep. We do visit friends and family who live elsewhere, but there is no more beautiful place to be than Falmouth. This year, we’ve decided to stay put and enjoy it, as well as have lots of people we love stay, so they can enjoy the seaside, too!