It’s been over a month since we moved homes. I cannot even believe it was early autumn when we packed the rest of our belongings in a car, put Cooper’s comfy bed on the backseat, locked the door and left. It feels like we’ve been here, in our new home, forever.

It’s definitely a happy place. Spacious, toasty warm and, most importantly, perfect for a cocker spaniel (or two, or a bunch of them). We set our own times and learning to enjoy the life in slow motion.

We can finally step out and find ourselves walking down the country side, the fields and little villages. No traffic, no street mess, no pressure of getting out before the school run. Everything is just gone. Instead we get up in the morning, walk down the street and into the vastness of the fields, have a long, at times frosty, walk, and return home to a lovely breakfast.

The people are very “dog-friendly” and so are the dogs, to be honest. Admittedly, the anxiety of bumping into saliva-spitting bullies was brewing inside me during our first walk. Then we met a dog, and another one, and another… Big and small, they might bark at times, but were perfectly friendly and most of them – very well behaved. It felt like heaven!

Cooper loves meeting them and even found a few friends. I think he very much loves his new way of life – from having a big garden of his own to sniff and run around to walking down little streets and exploring the nature. He is so relaxed and happy these days, practically a different dog.

And sometimes I feel like a different person, too. Like the good old me, really.

We are looking forward to Christmas, holidays, snow if we are lucky, and the arrival of a little bundle of joy in a few months. It’s all very simple and down to Earth, but that’s exactly how I like it, how we all like it.