A tiny house with a log burner?
Dog friendly?
Countryside views?
Yes please.
Jasmine, Harley and I booked ourselves a few days of respite with Unplugged.rest. The idea behind the cabins is to switch off everything except for what comes naturally. You can switch off your phone, pop it in a box and give an emergency number to your family. A basic Nokia phone (with Snake game) is provided, and so is a Polaroid camera for you to take some non-digital snaps. We all become creatures of habit and some of the things we are used to become difficult to put down.
We decided to do some reading, (some writing for me), spend precious time with little Harley, and sit looking out of the picture window into nature.
The cabin had everything you could need to survive. There was even a compostable toilet and eco shower which was hot, powerful and large. The steam awoke my scent senses as I used their shower gel and fresh shampoo. Two gas rings were provided for the morning cuppa, some cooking and a lovely evening chamomile tea. Sleep was plentiful as the natural circadian rhythms instantly switched on to encourage a relaxing slumber. Harley slept at the end of the bed, in his bed, on a wooden platform which looked like it was made especially for him. He has always loved looking out of windows and he sat there watching the local pheasant strolling by with its two crow friends.
Nighttime saw a bright moonlight up the field in front of the cabin, and we decided to sleep with the blinds open. I wasn't sure if I would be nervous. My mind races a lot of the time and my imagination goes wild, but I was surprisingly calm and relaxed. I'm glad we left the blinds open as we were able to be woken by the rising sun before it met the horizon. My chilly nose led me to the wood burner to light the fire. As the wood caught, the crackling sounds gave a soundtrack to make me smile. I was happy. The kettle was beginning to steam on the gas stove.
A few minutes later, I was back in bed, with my morning coffee, sitting slowly and watching the clouds roll past and the sunrise into the sky. These were precious moments of pause. So often, we race around with tight shoulders and the time finally came to just be. Listening to the body is more important than we have time for.
Two days into our trip, and we took Harley in his dog pushchair, to see some deer in the forest. I had never been to the New Forest before, but it was not like England. The flat terrain saw herds of cows strolling by at their own pace, and wandering ponies snacking on the side of the road.
As always, the sun shone brightly for us as we drove through the countryside. We found a stunning cafe which was dog friendly and gluten-free. A rare find. We didn't stay out for too long as the beauty in the tiny house was calling us home.
Cooking in the cabin was easy, and I loved prepping healthy meals for us to eat outside on the table beside the field.
I would definitely suggest looking at Unplugged. We loved their ethic and the quality of everything they provided for us.
I'm glad I filmed these videos to remember our time there. It was wonderful to just be together, letting life be the joy it was designed to be.
