Michaella Mazzoni loved the idea of living in London but she came to realise that the reality of living in a crowded, polluted, stressful city was playing havoc with her health.
A move out of the capital and a change in lifestyle has proved exactly the tonic she needed.
“I have been able to slow down and recover,” said Michaella.
In London Michaella, 32, and her husband James Perrett, 34, were renting a one bedroom circa £1,400pcm flat in East Dulwich. They both worked – James is an art director while Michaella was working in human resources – which meant long commutes, and long hours – and Michaella was also studying nutrition.
To make matters more difficult Michaella was juggling her busy life alongside coping with fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder which causes joint pain, exhaustion, and memory and mood issues. James, meanwhile, had been diagnosed with a frightening condition called spontaneous pneumothorax which caused intermittent lung collapses.
“My health was really precarious in London,” said Michaella. “I was really struggling with the fibromyalgia but I did notice that whenever we went out of London for the weekend I felt much better, probably because we were away and I was under less stress.
“James’ condition can be triggered by stress, and pollution, and we started talking about whether we should move out of London for the sake of our health.”
In 2017 the couple gave notice on their flat and moved to Edinburgh. James had negotiated a working from home arrangement, while the lower living costs north of the border meant that Michaella could quit her job, find a local part time job, and concentrate on her studies. “The air quality there is so much better than in London, it is a beautiful city, and a bit of an adventure for us,” said Michaella.
In 2019 the couple paid £215,000 for a three bedroom house in Borthwick, 16 miles south east of Edinburgh and thought they were settled. Michaella set up her own business (www.michaellamazzoninutrition.com) and the couple liked the experience of living out in the sticks.
But a series of blows caused a rethink. Michaella suffered a miscarriage and struggled being so far from her family, who live in Hertfordshire. James, whose lung condition had seemed much improved in Scotland, had a serious attack.
“It just felt really isolating to be so far away from our families,” said Michaella.
In early 2022 the couple decided to move again. They sold their house for circa £260,000, and moved to a four bedroom house in Hartford, Cambridgeshire, which cost £435,000.
Being close to family has been a joy for the couple, and James’ condition has been resolved with a surgery. Michaella’s fibromyalgia is in remission which she credits to a change in diet and her new low-stress lifestyle.
“I had tried lots of medication and nothing was helping,” she said. “Changing my diet and slowing down and working on my stress is what has helped. In Cambridge I still run my own business but it is still a quieter environment than London. We are close to a lot ofcountryside, and that helps, and I love having a lot of space. I do loads of gardening, walking, and baking, and we spend time with our families.
“We have had a lot of life events in a very short time, and I am happy to have a bit of peace.”
