The GREAT BIG life change

Will these women's fresh starts inspire you to make that move you've been dreaming of?

I FOLLOWED MY HEART'

Kim Scolding, 57, moved to Tuscany, where she lives in an old farmhouse and runs a wine business at the I Cipressi vineyard.

If anyone had told me five years ago that by my mid-50s I would be divorced, living in Tuscany and running a winemaking business, I'd have laughed. My ex-husband and I were both GPs, together since medical school. We had a lovely home, a great social life and wonderful holidays.

We'd been to Italy many times and thought about retiring there in our 60s. In 2017, we were holidaying in Tuscany, and browsing property websites, as you do. I spotted a beautiful old farmhouse with its own vineyard, just 10 minutes up the road. On a whim, we booked a viewing.

From the moment we stepped through the door, it felt like home. The house had 2.5 hectares of mature vineyard, olive trees and views over a valley. Although it needed work, I fell in love with it on the spot. Back home, I'd been finding my job increasingly stressful. The thought of starting a new life running a small wine business felt like an exciting adventure.

Giving up our careers, leaving friends and family behind and uprooting our three dogs was a big deal. Besides, we knew absolutely nothing about wine production. But, we reasoned, why not try something new while we were young enough to enjoy it? We put in an offer, took Italian lessons and went on an intensive winemaking course. The sale went through in December 2018. In March the following year, we moved there with the dogs.

At first, I handled the admin and looked after the vineyard, while my ex returned home to finish working and selling the house. He didn't come out again for three months. It was lonely and the physical work-pruning in the 34-degree heat - was punishing. But I knew I didn't want to go back to my previous life.