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Task 2. A new way of life.
On TV magazine tonight, we're looking at people who have given up regular jobs and high salaries to start a new way of life.
First of all, we have two interviews with people who decided to leave the rat race.
Nicola Burgess spoke to them.
This is the Isle of Skye.
Behind me you can see the croft belonging to Daniel and Michelle Burns, who gave up their jobs to come to this remote area of Scotland.
Daniel was the sales manager of Hi-Vita, the breakfast creal company, and Michelle was a successful advertising executive.
Michelle, can you tell us what made you give up something to come here?
Everything? That's a matter of opinion.
A big house and two cars isn't everything.
Dan and I both used to work long hours.
We had to leave so early in the morning, and we came home so late at night, that we hardly ever saw each other.
We should have come here years ago, but we were earning such big salaries that we were afraid to leave our jobs.
In the end, we had so little time together that our marriage was breaking up.
So two years ago, we took a week's holiday in the Scottish Highlands.
We saw this place and we both fell in love with it.
It was for sale, and we liked it so much that we decided to give up our jobs, and here we are.
How do you earn a living?
If you don't mind me asking.
We don't need very much.
We keep sheep and goats, grow our own vegetables.
We've got a few chickens.
It's a very simple life, and we're not in it for profit.
We're still so busy that we work from five in the morning until eight at night, but we're together.
We're happier than we've ever been and we're leading a natural life.
There must be some things you miss, surely.
I don't know.
We knew such a lot of people in London, but there weren't real friends.
We see our neighbours occasionally and there's such a lot to do on the farm that we don't have time to feel lonely.
At least, we see each other now.
The motor-bike I'm sitting on is a very special one.
Special because it's been all the way round the world.
It belongs to Luke Saunders. who has just returned to England after three-year motor-cycle journey.
Luke, what led you to leave your job and make this trip?
I worked in a car factory on the assembly line.
All I had to do was put four nuts on the bolts that hold the wheels on.
It's done by robots now, and a good thing too.
The job was so routine that I didn't have to think at all.
I bought this Triumph 750 cc bike second-hand, fitted two panniers on the back and just set off for Australia.
What did you do for money?
I had a bit of money to start with, but of course it didn't last long and I had to find work where I could.
I've done so many different things, picked fruit, washed up, worked as a mechanic.
How did people react to you?
In India, for example?
Everywhere I went, the people were so friendly that problems seemed to solve themselves.
There was such a lot of interest in the bike that it was easy to start a conversation.
You know, often you can communicate without really knowing the language.
Did you ever feel like giving up, turning round and coming home?
Only once, in Bangladesh. I became so ill with food poisoning that I had to go to hospital.
But it didn't last long.
You've had such an exciting time that you'll find it difficult to settle down, won't you?
I'm not going to.
Next week I'm off again, but this time, I'm going in the opposite direction!
See you in about three years' time.
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