In my future, I live in a small, bright house that stands slightly elevated on a huge, gently rolling meadow. Surrounded by nature, which my soul looks forward to, I see the dense stand of trees to the south, which envelops me almost like an embrace. The trees look majestic and familiar, like old friends watching over time. To the south, the world opens up gently to a quiet bay, far away yet tangible, as if the sea itself were sending me its peaceful breath. It is as if nature had created a home of peace and beauty for me.
My house is simple and cosy. The heart of this home is a long veranda that extends along the entire front of the house. This veranda is my place at any time of the day or year, be it in warm sunshine, in the rain gently pattering on the roof, or in the bitterly cold winter mornings when the first frost has transformed the meadow into sparkling crystals. I often sit here in a comfortable armchair, wrapped in a blanket, a book on my lap or simply with a hot tea in my hand, while I enjoy the silence, which speaks louder than a thousand words.
My loyal companions are two dogs that could hardly be more different, yet they form a harmonious team. One of them, with a calm, confident nature, seems to me to be a guardian of the house. He rarely leaves my side, keeping watch and giving me a sense of protection and stability. The other dog is cheerful and always up for mischief, almost like a living ray of sunshine that dances through the house and is always looking for new adventures. His energy invigorates my daily routine and entices me on walks across the meadow, through the rolling hills and to the tree line, which nestles like a natural fence around my habitat.
And then there are my two cats, who share the house but always maintain their own freedom. They come and go as they please. Sometimes they sit on the porch next to me, their eyes half closed and their fur shimmering in the sunlight, sometimes they silently disappear into the woods, only to reappear sometime later, giving me the feeling that they have explored the whole world with their gaze. They are creatures of the interlude – sometimes cuddly and purring, sometimes mysterious and absent. They remind me that I don't have to hold on to anything either, that everything is in flux and that I too am part of this rhythmic change.
Behind the house, the land rises to form gentle hills that merge into a mountain range. The mountains are far away and yet always present, especially when the morning light bathes them in pink and gold or the fog lies like a veil over their slopes. It is a calming sight, a horizon that watches over the edge of my habitat like a silent companion and gives me strength. Sometimes, when I gaze into the silence of the mountains, I feel a deep connection to all living things – as if this landscape were a mirror of my own thoughts and feelings, which, like the mountains in the light, are constantly changing and growing.
The days here follow a pleasant rhythm. I wake up early, often before the first ray of sunlight, and let the fresh morning air flow into my house. Simple rituals characterise my mornings: a hot coffee, the crackling of the fire that I light to drive away the morning coolness, and the rustling of the leaves outside when the wind brushes through the trees. Sometimes I listen to the sounds of the animals stirring at dawn, or I follow the chatter of the birds that nest in the trees and greet the new day with their singing.
Every day brings different colours, smells and moods. In summer, the meadow is full of flowers swaying in the wind, and I walk barefoot through the tall grass, feel the earth under my feet, and feel alive and free. In autumn, a golden glow covers everything, and I collect the first leaves that sink to the ground, keeping them as little reminders of the abundance of nature. Winter brings silence and a gentle cold, which I enjoy in the warmth of my house, while outside the world is wrapped in white silence. And when spring comes, I see the first green sprout, hear the streams ripple and feel nature and I awakening from hibernation together.
Here, far from the people and the noise of the world, I have everything I need. The animals that surround me give me companionship and freedom at the same time. The nature that surrounds this house is a source of inexhaustible peace and beauty. There is no hurry, no expectations, just being – simple, peaceful and fulfilled. In this solitude, I feel secure and connected to all living things, as if the world, nature and I were in harmony, each part of the other, each a mirror of the greater whole.
Sometimes I sit on my porch and look up at the sky, watching the clouds drift across the sky, listening to the distant sound of the sea or the whisper of the wind in the trees. It is a life without want, without worries, just the vastness and silence of nature carrying me. Here, in this place, I find everything I have ever sought.