We Are Relocating! And It Is Super Exciting!!!
For the longest time, not many people knew about this, but…
We are relocating to Cornwall!
So I have decided to record our experience on my blog as this relocation is also about moving my business and starting afresh in a completely new area, where very few people have ever heard of Andrea de Gabriel Portraits - though I have every intention of changing that!
Given how stressful this process has been, so far, I want to write about it in a few posts in order to record our progress, my feelings, and how both our lives and my business are being affected, as well as how things will change.
If you have ever moved to the other side of the country and took not only your private life but also your business through this process, you will be able to empathise.
If not, and it is something you are considering, you may find the odd pearl of wisdom in my experience!
FIRST THINGS FIRST: WHY CORNWALL?
This question may feel redundant to many, as the answer can appear obvious!
I base this assumption on the fact that upon learning of these news, a couple of comments have been a constant from those who share this badly guarded secret:
“Oh, Cornwall. I am SO jealous!” or “ I would love to live there. I have been on holiday there, so many times!” (and many other variations… but you get the idea)
But we are not moving there “just” for the Cornish Pasties, the beaches and cream teas - though those things are all fabulous and we look forward to them, too.
We are moving there because we genuinely love Cornwall, its people, and its rich history .
We feel at home, there.
We love the Cornish character and outlook in life, we want to be a part of its community, we want to contribute to its growth, in whatever way we can, and we want to call it home - not a holiday destination.
We want to make a real commitment to Cornwall.
WHEN I FELL IN LOVE… IT REALLY WAS COMPLETELY & FOREVER!
It was the very early 2000’s and I went on holiday to Cornwall , for the very first time.
I went with a close friend and we stayed in St Ives, at a beautiful self-contained room with a spectacular view of the bay.
I was not awed by St Ives, but the beaches were beautiful and that made me so happy that I forgot about how busy and overcrowded the actual town felt, to me.
A few days into our holiday we decided to visit The Minack Theatre and that was a decision which would come to have a very direct impact on my life, to this day…
The history of the theatre is, in itself, incredibly impressive and a place which is well worth a visit.
However, it was not The Minack which changed my life but instead it was what I observed over one of its walls that came to steal my heart!
I was admiring the view ahead, and to my left I saw a stone wall which overlooked the majestic cliffs over the sea so I took a peek, carefully.
I saw Porthcurno beach.
I still cannot explain why, but I “knew” I had to go there.
In Cornwall beautiful beaches are pretty much the norm, but when I set feet on Porthcurno I was overcome by a feeling of “home”. Like I had been there many times before. Like I had returned.
I felt overcome with joy and a deep sense of peace.
“Maybe it was just that it is a beautiful beach?!”
I do not mean to be boastful but I grew up surrounded, and frequenting, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and I had never felt that way, so I have to discount that theory…
I just do not have a “theory”, to be honest.
But I know that I left Cornwall knowing that one day I would return to that beach, but I never thought that it would take nearly 20 years!
SHARING THE LOVE…
Life went on, things happened, and my intention of returning to Porthcurno or Cornwall in the near future, did not materialise.
Many years later, after Bob and I met and got married, I suggested we visit Cornwall for our first wedding anniversary.
As he had never been to Cornwall, and Porthcurno is waaaaaaay too far down south, we settled for a stay in Newquay at a lovely hotel which overlooked the sea - and it was a nice holiday, as Newquay was not too busy, and we enjoyed our stay…
We returned in 2017 and this time we went a bit further south, to The Lizard Peninsula.
It was ok, but I still longed to go back to Porthcurno…
So in 2018, we finally made it to Penzance and to Porthcurno.
Having visited Penzance every year since, we are absolutely in love with the town, and Bob now not only understands my love for Porthcurno and Cornwall but shares it, too! We no longer feel like tourists …
We are “locals in waiting!”
We are regulars at Marazion Beach, facing St Michael’s Mount, and we adore all of the little villages surrounding Penzance.
And so it was that life conspired to put everything in place for us to finally put our house on the market and be able to take the step of committing to a life in Cornwall.
Although we will not be moving to Penzance (at least until we retire!), we will be close enough to visit for a day trip and Porthcurno will be on our doorstep, compared to how far it is, right now!
I very much look forward to getting to know local business owners, being part of the Cornish community, and to introducing Andrea de Gabriel Portraits to a whole new audience.
Have you ever moved completely out of an area where you were for most of your life?
Have you ever moved your business to a completely new area?
