I was born in the middle of Manchester. A bustling city known for its industrialization. We moved to Birmingham and then Nottingham before I was five, but I was desperate to get to the Big Smoke until I left the nest at 18. I had been happily staying there for over 10 years.
I’m a proud city girl. It was always like that. That’s always going to happen…or so I thought. I usually feel energized when I’m zigzagging travelers, walking down a crowded street, or heading somewhere. I don’t care about smelly subway carriages or expensive lattes. So why, why has my Instagram save folder recently turned into an advertisement for idyllic country living?
As a travel writer, I’m not planning a trip to Paris, I’m dreaming of nights spent watching the sunset at Fowlscombe Farm in Devon, wrapped up in a big jumper, with a book on my lap. Instead of spending my payday packet on a sparkly dress for party season, I love vintage petticoats and vintage overalls. You can’t take me out of my Gardana clogs.
I’m not alone in this feeling, or even yearning, for simple, analog pleasures like misty landscapes, turning pages, and holding a wicker basket. On social media, the trend of “romanticizing life” has people thinking about slowing down for a while, drinking coffee alone, or sketching landscapes. That said, there’s a great deal of irony in filming them the way they do. In the world of travel, staycations offer unplugged, seasonal experiences rooted in wellness, like harvest meals and celebratory reading by the fireside. Generation Z has also taken up bird watching.
But there’s more to it than just relaxing at the spa on the weekends. I’ve been waiting for a while in front scroll. It’s a backlash from the digital age, right? Every time I hear about AI news, I feel more and more drawn to the past. I like to share sentimental and whimsical experiences with friends, family, and even myself. While visiting my parents recently, my friend and I spent the evening picking apples in the orchard. Yes, I understand, I took a few pictures, but no cell phones allowed.
It’s no wonder, then, that the appeal of Jane Austen’s stories feels stronger and more real than ever. And what better time than fall to release a movie full of candlelit dancing, swinging bodices and muddy petticoats? sense and sensitivity It opens in theaters in late September, preparing you for a season of melancholy outside your window. pride and prejudice series later this year.
Remakes of period dramas are always popular, but in a culture where almost everything has become instantaneous – dating, communication, entertainment, travel itself – we now crave emotional slowness. Instead, Austen’s characters must walk, wait, observe, misunderstand, and receive life-changing information in the mail. In 2026, this concept is fundamentally in no rush.
So here, we recommend places like a stay in a rustic barn, an atmospherically lit library, or a historic cottage where you can escape from the digital world for a weekend and unleash your inner Elizabeth Bennet (my personal favorite). It’s time to walk around, meditate, read a book, and perhaps join hands with a stranger in a dance.
candovermegan murray
candovermegan murray