Coffee and Rakija

Coffee and Rakija

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Coffee and Rakija
Coffee and Rakija
Off the Radar, Right Where I Belong

Off the Radar, Right Where I Belong

Why choosing a quiet, slower life in rural Bosnia feels like the greatest adventure of all

David Pejčinović-Bailey MBE's avatar
David Pejčinović-Bailey MBE
Jul 11, 2025
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Coffee and Rakija
Coffee and Rakija
Off the Radar, Right Where I Belong
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Golden Hour in Čardačani

I’ve just finished reading Leyla Kazim’s latest Substack post about “upping sticks” and moving from urban London to rural Portugal. What an adventure she’s on. At almost 40, Leyla is embracing a brand-new chapter: learning to work the land, living off-grid, and building a self-sufficient life from the ground up.

A Day Well Spent with Leyla Kazim
Leaving the only place I've called home
Hi! This is Leyla from A Day Well Spent, a newsletter about purposeful living…
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2 days ago · 19 likes · 5 comments · Leyla Kazim

She mentioned that sometimes she doesn’t leave her house and garden in south east London, for days. And she’s completely fine with that.

Reading her words really struck a chord with me. Here I am, a little over 70, a Brit who also left behind the noise and pace of city life, but for me, it was to a quiet village in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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