Living in a Small English Village / Autumn Edition  
By Jeong So-kyo

Leaving the City for Nature  
As a native Korean who was born and raised in Korea, I began my married life in the city center of Manchester, England, with my British husband. During my pregnancy, I suffered from severe morning sickness, which left me in tears as I struggled to cope with the nausea. One day, we received an invitation to a wedding in a quiet countryside village, where I ate two large potatoes at the reception without any adverse reaction. Eating food from nature made me feel better, and I realized I had to leave the noise and pollution of the city behind.  
After that, we took the necessary steps to move our family to a rural village with clean air and good water. Having lived in an apartment in Korea, I found great joy in visiting my grandmother's house in Gyeongju during holidays, where there were plenty of beds and frogs. I had a vague desire to raise my child in nature. Ultimately, the vigorous movements of my unborn daughter played a decisive role in our family's move to the countryside.

One of the greatest joys of rural living is stepping outside to experience the ever-changing gifts of nature throughout the seasons and connecting with the life that thrives within it.

A Small House Next to the Castle Where the Queen Passed By  
Our family settled in a small village associated with Penrhyn Castle, built over 200 years ago. Most of the houses in the area, including ours, are registered as cultural heritage sites, making it a historically rich place. The British government strictly protects the historical value of old buildings through laws governing their exteriors and architectural elements. As a result, this village has preserved the unique Welsh architectural style, characterized by rough stone and charming low stone walls, just as it was 200 years ago. My husband wanted to avoid houses that were overly extravagant or luxurious, as they might feel out of place. This house, originally built as accommodations for workers who crafted wood for castle construction and repairs, caught his eye. Behind our modest little home is a long garden with a small pond inhabited by frogs and newts, and at the end of the garden, a gentle hill where the railway runs. It’s delightful to wait for the occasional steam train that passes by once or twice a year. This railway was once traveled by Queen Victoria on her journeys to Wales. Due to the loyalty of Lord Penrhyn, who wanted to show the queen only beautiful scenery instead of the back of a commoner's house, the entrance to our home faces the railway, making the back door the entrance and the front door overlook the garden. This unusual layout is one of the charms of our home, steeped in history. Although it’s a small house hidden along a secluded forest path that even long-time locals might not know about, I want to beautify every corner of it during our time here. It’s a small gesture of respect I wish to maintain, leaving a pleasant gift for someone in the distant future who may experience the joy we felt upon discovering this home.

The Gifts of Nature Through the Seasons  
One of the benefits of living in a rural village is enjoying daily life immersed in nature. Each day begins with the sound of birds chirping as the dawn breaks and ends under a starry night sky. On sunny days, sitting in the garden with a cup of tea, I can faintly hear the sound of passing trains and the bells ringing from the village's old church. After heavy rains, the sound of the stream flowing behind our house becomes more pronounced.  
As the seasons change, flowers and trees don their new attire, offering a variety of fruits as gifts. Whenever I go for a walk, I am greeted by the sheep and horses in the expansive fields. The often cloudy and rainy weather, notorious in England, actually nourishes the countryside, making it lush and vibrant. The long winter nights, with their short days, provide a romantic opportunity to sit by the fireplace and warm up. After enduring what seemed like an endless winter, the first flowers and newborn lambs emerging from the fields herald the arrival of spring.  
As I witness the vibrant cycle of nature and the beautiful growth of my daughter, my husband and I feel proud of our decision to leave the city for the countryside.

My daughter Luna loves picking blueberries on her way home from school. The blueberries that fly from nature to our kitchen become sweet jam.

Jeong So-kyo  
I majored in art in Korea. Due to my morning sickness, which subsided only when I ate food from nature, I realized the importance of nature and decided to move to a small rural village that has preserved its Welsh charm for 200 years and is registered as a cultural heritage site. While raising my daughter, who plays freely in the vast fields, I am happily living in nature with my husband.  
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