Perfectly unkempt

We have a truly blessed life, my little family and I.

We live, most of of the time, on a 7000 acre grain and sheep farm in the Wheatbelt, Western Australia. My husband is a dedicated third generation farmer. Our children have space that many people could only dream of!

We also have a little house in Perth about 2 hours away, that is close to the river and beautiful beaches. It is our base when we visit friends and family, and want our ocean and city fix.

We really do have the best of both worlds. And it suits us, and our diversity, and our unschooling lifestyle perfectly.

When we are on the farm we have the freedom to take time out when we need to. We can shield ourselves from the barrage of a fast paced life and completely recharge. We can go a week or more without seeing anyone but family if we need to.

We can potter around at home, watch movies, read books, go on farm adventures on our bikes, build cubbies and climb trees. Or we can venture out to visit the town library, or catch up with some local friends at the park.

And when we have had a rest, we can head to Perth, become anonymous, and immerse ourselves in all that the city has to offer – parks, museums, playgrounds, beaches, theatres, cinemas, homeschooling excursions and meet ups, and anything else that takes our fancy (without the weekend or school holiday crowds).

It is perfect. But a messy kind of perfect.

We spend a lot of time in our car and living out of bags. So our car has clothes and books and old food hidden away in unknown crevices. And our bedrooms have a permanent ‘floordrobe’.

We can go a while without seeing anyone out on the farm, with no one to impress, but the sheep. So when we venture out you could say that we are a little unkempt. Hair that is never brushed, feet without shoes, afternoon faces still stained with the morning’s breakfast.

Our children’s days are free flowing and carefree, without the burden of appointments or school runs, or ‘shoulds’ and ‘shouldn’ts’, or routines and deadlines.

From the outside it might look chaotic and quirky and messy. But despite this messiness, we are happy, we are spirited, we are free. We are really living life and appreciating the abundance.

Yep, we are truly blessed.

We may not be perfect, but we are perfectly unkempt.