White sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and year-round radiant sunshine… this is Cyprus, and the place I now call home. It’s a warm Sunday evening. The charcoal on the barbeque is glowing and my senses are filled with the wafting smell of mouth-watering meat cooking slowly. Admiring the beautiful sunset, I sit down at the table on my veranda and my thoughts start to drift. I think about how much my lifestyle has changed since moving to Cyprus.
I no longer worry about the silly things in life that don’t really matter. Instead, I’m enjoying every moment and for me, that’s the way it should be. My weekend has been spent strolling casually along sandy beaches, sipping chilled Martini and lemonade in the beautiful gardens of a local taverna and laughing and joking with friends over an al fresco lunch. I mean, you just don’t get the option of popping down to the beach for an afternoon swim on a normal Saturday afternoon in England.
It amazes me how, although I haven’t been living in Cyprus for long, I already feel totally at home here. It’s the small things in life that make a difference, like walking down the street and being greeted with a friendly “good morning” from the locals. People are too caught up in the hustle and bustle in England to even take time out from their busy schedules to acknowledge others passing by. I smile to myself as I lie in bed, content after my freshly cooked meal, and think about how lucky I am to be experiencing Cyprus and the wonderful lifestyle it has to offer.
At 7.00 the next morning I’m awoken, not by the dull ringing of my alarm clock, but by the sunshine streaking through the curtains and the birds singing. Long gone are the days of reluctantly venturing out of my front door armed with an industrial sized can of De-Icer! Now I am sure of being greeted by rays of sunshine beaming down 344 days of the year.
My drive to work now features rolled down windows and open coastal roads - quite a change from squeaking windscreen wipers and noisy, gridlocked cities! Life is just amazing here – you find yourself adjusting to the pace and the Cyprus lifestyle as soon as you set foot in the country. I think the thing about Cyprus is that there is just so much to take in, and if you rush you’ll miss out on the beautiful scenery and general chilled-out atmosphere.
As I gaze out of the window from my office desk I can see palm trees swaying gently in the breeze, framing the turquoise Mediterranean ocean. Tourists stroll along the street with all the time in the world, admiring the flowers and taking in all that they see. Deadlines and time limits just don’t seem to exist here.
Before I know it, it is 5.30pm and as I wander out of the office the sun is still shining high in the sky with no intention of disappearing beneath the horizon for at least another 3 hours. My skyward gaze is interrupted by my mobile phone beeping in my handbag. I chuckle to myself as I read the message aloud, “How do you fancy floating round Nissi Bay on a lilo after work?” That just about sums up my new Mediterranean lifestyle as a Cy-Briton - and I wouldn’t change it for the world!
