Less Noise, More Music
It’s been a bit of a crazy year—full of big, life-changing decisions.
Back in June 2025, I decided to take a seven-month sabbatical from my job as a countryside ranger, stepping away from a career I’d been in for over 20 years. It felt strange at first—like pulling the plug on something that had always been a big part of who I was. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t take some adjusting, especially when it came to that sense of purpose you get from working life.
We’re all brought up with a pretty fixed idea of how life should look: build a career, work the 9–5, keep things steady. So when you step away from that, even temporarily, it can mess with your head a bit. There’s always that little voice asking what people might think—are you doing enough, are you being lazy, have you lost your drive?
But honestly, the longer I sat with it, the more I realised… no one’s really paying that much attention. Everyone’s caught up in their own lives, their own routines, their own worries.
The original plan was simple: take six months to travel around the UK and Europe and use the time to figure out what I actually wanted next. So that’s what we started doing. My wife and I packed up the campervan, took our two dogs, and headed off on a road trip around southern England. For a couple of months, we slowed everything right down. No rush, no pressure—just time to think, talk, and take it all in.
But life has a way of putting things into perspective.
We’ve both had our share of tough moments over the years—illness, loss, the kind of things that make you stop and reassess. Losing my mum in December 2022, completely unexpectedly, at just 60, was the biggest of those moments. It changed how I look at everything. It made one thing very clear: you don’t always get “later.” If there’s something you want to do, or a life you want to live, you can’t keep putting it off.
So with that in mind—and with her very much in my thoughts—we made a big call.
We cut the trip short, sold our house, and downsized to a smaller cottage that we’ve been renovating. It’s been a big shift, but a good one. By simplifying things and lowering our outgoings, it’s given me the freedom to step away from my job and try a different way of living.
Leaving wasn’t easy. I genuinely loved what I did. But sometimes you just know it’s time for a change—and there’s something exciting about stepping into the unknown, even if it’s a bit uncomfortable.
For now, I don’t have all the answers—and that’s OK, I’m focusing on my music, travelling when it feels right, and seeing where life takes me. No fixed plan—just figuring it out as I go, one note at a time.
