True, such a life can be exciting, but it takes a heavy toll on those quiet moments so necessary for thinking, and mental regrouping. My favorite pastime back then was to spend evenings and weekends strolling through the village and across the surrounding farms to the neighboring villages. There was an ancient Roman villa in the area which had an unusually well-preserved mosaic tile floor. There were old barns still functional after centuries of use. There were small shops and picturesque village greens.
Leisurely country walks to such places filled many hours.
Those walks helped me learn about rural England, and provided space to just think about life in general. These days, we as a family carefully scrutinize our outside time commitments. So we are vigilant against anything which may subtract from that most precious time. Our hope is we're instilling in our children a love of solitude, of space between activities, of preserving a not insignificant chunk of each day for relaxation. Perhaps this love will deepen as they mature, and be more important to them than being part of the chronically busy jet set.