Adopting the virtues of the slow lifestyle that The Wine & Country Club extols is easy-peasy. Maybe not so much at first—after all, it is not quite so easy to leave the frenzied pace of city life—; but after as little as one, or maybe two weeks, the natural surroundings start wrapping you up in a sense of calm and mindfulness, while getting your creative juices flowing. The alarm clock—whenever you do set it—does not go off in the same way, and your wristwatch—whenever you remember to wear it—is still going, albeit at a much slower pace, thus allowing your days to be all that more productive. And should the day not be as productive as you anticipated, that is quite ok, you know you will get round to it the next day.
Country living, and witnessing—mesmerised—the turn of the seasons, does not mean compromising your techie side. You want to keep up to date with the latest technological advances and you embrace the capacity that technology has to make your life easier and more comfortable.
This is the reason why one of your very first purchases for your winery estate was a smart speaker. This little gadget, which turns on automatically when you greet it good morning, ensures you stay informed as you get breakfast going and reads you the weather forecast before you set out, among many other features.
Your next purchase was a tad more challenging, but extremely useful.Â
You had an automated system installed to remotely control—both from your smartphone and smart speaker—your home’s lighting, blinds and water system, among others. You are fascinated by home automation and you do not want to do without it. After all, country living is not at odds with having a state-of-the-art home in terms of home automation and efficiency.
Despite your home being nestled in nature’s bounty and thus living in perfectly healthy mountainous surroundings, you enjoy having an air purifier at home that also provides cold air in summer and warm air in winter. Air purifiers are such cool devices; not only can you control the unit remotely from your mobile phone, but it also monitors indoor air quality and moisture levels in real time so you can effectively control both.
Other Gadgets For Your Slow Daily Life
Your wireless headphones are yet another good buy to take pride in. You purchased them when you first arrived at The Wine & Country Club and they are an essential in your day-to-day life—be it to make video calls to the New York office or to listen to good music while you run along the trails that wend their way through the sunny meadows—. They have certainly become an irreplaceable gadget.
Another great companion of yours these days—one that you use early in the morning—is your programmable alarm clock, which reproduces a real break of day by combining a series of relaxing lights and sounds. Switching circadian rhythms back into phase is something you have been doing naturally for a long time now, and staying in step with your waking up ritual is sacred. Against this backdrop, it is almost impossible not to start the day in a good mood.
Smart technology for your kitchen is an area you still have not ventured into. It is not that you rule it out, but you are somewhat reluctant to make that move because your slow lifestyle is also very closely linked to cooking at home. However, you have a digital crockpot in mind that promises to take you on a simmering stew experience.
As for the garden, nothing beats smart planters and flowerpots. They are fitted with four sensors to measure humidity, fertiliser, light and temperature, and send the measured values to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Such a great and useful idea, especially now that you are dipping your toes into gardening. That way, no plant will ever die on you again.
This is just a hint at how technology—in the right measure—continues to make your life easier, even if your new life is based on a more mindful philosophy and nestled in a naturally privileged environment.