Bonjour, Steemit friends.

My name is Marina, I live in France.

They say the middle of life is the testing ground of character and strength. Since my move to rural France, I have to say it's so true. I spoke very little French and lived in a small caravan for a year with a dog and two cats. I was left by my partner at the start of this project, so after selling up and moving from England to France, thinking I would be sharing my dream, I found myself alone.

My friends and family thought I was mad, and many thought I would never achieve my goals and would soon move back to England or the United States. It's not been an easy journey, but it's sure been an interesting one. I have learned to be self-reliant and enjoy my own company.

How did I get here? I grew up in England in a working class background. My dad was a "Jack of all trades, master of none" but could turn his hand to anything. He was hard-working and loved his family. I guess this is where I get my "Jill of all trades" from. I miss him every day here in France.

I had many adventures along the way. Modeling and traveling the world I lived in California for twenty-two years. I had an eye for design and opened a retail store in Malibu where I sold bed linens and offering design services. Divorced and single in a large city like Los Angeles, I missed my homeland and family. I moved back to England, purchased my first home and started to make my nest. Time passed and before I knew it I was in my fifties mid-life. I am not sure who said, middle-aged is later than you think and sooner than you expect.

I got tired of working just to pay a mortgage and bills and not really taking the time to enjoy my life. I decided there had to be another way to created a better way of living the last chapter of my life, looking for the simple life, growing my own food, keeping chickens, tending beehives and just enjoying nature. I starting looking for a new place I could call home .

After a vacation in Burgundy, France. I fell in love with the area and its people. I started looking for a house that I could restore. I didn't have a large budget and finally managed to find a large house with a small outbuilding that could be used as a Gite (guest cottage), with the idea that this could give me an income later in life.

The small guest cottage before restoration

Restoration.

Petit a petit l'oiseau fait so nil. (Feather by Feather. the bird builds its nest) this lovely French saying summed up my restoration project, as it's a pay as-you go construction. I have gone from living in the caravan to the guest cottage. I have enjoyed my cheap and cheerful lifestyle and have met the most wonderful people along the way. I have learned many a new skill and now that I have finished my 34 sq meters Petit Cottage I can start to work on designing the larger house.

Interior of guest cottage before restoration.

I really had to use my imagination to turn this rundown outbuilding into a guest cottage. I did have electricity and water to the property, but no septic tank only an outhouse which was just a hole in the ground.

With a lot of hard work, sweat and even a few tears . I succeed to making the guest cottage into a comfortable home, now ready to rent out as a holiday cottage.

Photos by Ton Bouwer

The Future

You are never to old to find your passion in life, even if you are on your own. With very little money I managed to turn this run down outbuilding into a comfortable home. Proof that it's never too late to follow your dreams. I am looking forward to working on the big house and learning some new skills. I am enjoying my life here in rural Burgundy and my small community have welcomed with open arms. So come join me at Morvan Living and I will share my midlife adventure in this undiscovered part of France .