Countryside Cycles

I consider myself lucky in that not only do I come from an amazing part of the world, but so does my British boyfriend! We've been living with Ben's parents in Shropshire, a county in the West Midlands, for a few months now while we look for jobs. Although it's probably not somewhere we'd choose to live long-term at this point in time (it's better suited to families, in my opinion!) there is a lot to be said for Shropshire, namely its abundance of tranquil countryside.

This is something Ben and I have tried to take advantage of whenever possible these last few months, especially when taking much needed breaks from job hunting! Throughout the autumn months, we frequently went for bike rides through small nearby villages with babbling brooks and churches steeped in history, past fields of sheep and houses with names like Pear Cottage... basically, quintessential rural England. Even though we were rarely more than 10 miles from Shrewsbury, Ben's hometown of nearly 100,000 people, it always felt much, much further away. Cycling through the Shropshire countryside has often been an ideal remedy to job (or lack thereof) related stress and, in times of frustration, reminded me to be grateful that I'm living in such a picturesque, postcard-worthy place.

P.S. It looks as though my job hunt may be over - stay tuned for details!