msjones Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We are getting fed up with the city. The traffic, the pace, the cost of living, the frantic consumerism, the crime, the cram-packed neighborhood, the never-ending search for parking, the crowds, the popular culture breathing down our kids' throats no matter how hard we try to downplay it... We aren't completely caught up in all of it. We homeschool, we don't do year-round sports, we don't buy tons of stuff, we have a small and modest home. But even when we get out of the city we're still in a crowd. Even the hiking trails and campgrounds around here are packed with people. In spite of our attempts to simplify things, it's all swirling around us, and I feel sort of stuck....I am constantly dreaming of a quieter life. Well, we have an opportunity to move out to the boonies. WAY out. Have any of you done this? Are you glad? Do you miss the city? How did your kids respond? How did YOU respond? Did it change your family life for the better? I would love to hear from any of you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We lived in town until recently in a not so great neighborhood. We tried to move way out but the house didn't work out. We now have 3 acres on the edge of town and I love it. Close enough to continue our activities but none of the crime, traffic noise... edited to add: we are much more relaxed than before. I can sendmy kids out to play by themselves in the yard and not worry about who is driving down the street or if that man is beating his wife again. We have 3 goats and are looking at chickens. We are happier because we feel safe and my son doesn't feel trapped like a prisoner in our home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We ran away from the city last year. We are in a tiny village out in rural alberta. It has been okay for us, though I consider it simply a stepping stone until we get our hobby farm/acreage. For now we are close enough to both the big city and the larger town to access services for the kids, etc but far enough away to enjoy what small town life has to offer. It's funny even thew kids comment on the busy-ness of the city, the congested traffic etc. They all usually start saying within 10 minutes of being in teh city they want to head back home to our quiet town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Sherry Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 (edited) Actually, yes, we did live in Zig Zag Oregon for awhile. It's on the way up to Mt. Hood in Oregon. I'm so glad we do not live there now. Take a look at what's going on, right on the street we lived on. http://www.nwcn.com/home/Slow-but-steady-progress-for-flooded-community-near-Zigzag-Oregon-114157874.html I just looked at the video and it's not the one of zig zag. must have expired. But the photo of the river is in Zig Zag. Oh, and as far as crime. There IS sometimes crime in isolated places. Being away from the city can be nice, but getting too isolated has it's own problems. Right now we live in a fairly small town. I like having less crime and less traffic than the city. But going to the extreme of living in a place like Zig Zag, I don't want to do again. Edited February 3, 2011 by Miss Sherry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 When we lived in Clackamus (sp), Oregon (suburb of Portland) I felt completely suffocated and so did DH. We moved to Newburg which was a small, rural hamelt (or at least it was at that time) and felt better though every single subdivision was covenanted (very frustrating) and anything outside of town was PREMIUM in cost. So we managed with one of the not ritzy subdivisions and it was definitely better. When we moved to Michigan, dh wasn't certain he wanted to live too far from his job in the city (he couldn't work from home at that time), yet we knew we couldn't handle city living. So, we chose a small town about 40 minutes from his job and 20 minutes from another city. Well, the city moved out to us! Our property taxes kept going up and up, the traffic became terrible on our road, delivery trucks speeding everywhere and getting away with it because we did not have a village police (too small for that) and the state police chose not to patrol our road with regularity. The trucks were going all hours of the day and night. Then they started restricting everything...the size of the garden, etc. It became stifling though we didn't actually live in a place that looked like nothing more than a quiet town. So, when our current place went up on the market, we knew we needed to jump at it. Though we technically lived in the other house for two years, the reality was that we camped at mom and dad's until this place had a working bathroom and then camped here. We went "home" to make our presence known once in a while and check out what was going on. We fled. By the time this was done and we could move all of our things in, the housing market had begun to turn...it did so here in Michigan long before it did in other states because of the mass loss of manufacturing jobs tied to the auto industry. We ended up selling only to break even. I think the check issued to us at closing was $128.00. We took a real bath on that piece of real estate and were tickled pink to just be out of there. We did our research and fled to a place that really can't be "cityfied". Though it looks like a tiny town, it is not incorporated...it's only a rural tonwship that is so small it doesn't even meet state requirements for all of the local government that other towns have. City utilities cannot be mandated because there are no boundaries for the town which is the only town within the township. It doesn't have enough of a tax base for the state to be able to implement a number of laws that other areas must follow/don't meet minimum population requirements. It also had an agricultural exemption for livestock - no acreage specifications for animals smaller than horses and cows as long as the animal is for single family use (ie. family consumption, family pet, educational project such as 4-H/FFA), so all you have to do is make sure you take good care of your animals and don't let them bother your neighbor. For this reason, we will not keep a rooster. There just isn't any sense in getting the town upset at 5:00 a.m. and incurring enough complaints that the township board decides to "revisit" the issue. We even have fairly reasonable, if not loose, building codes. I completely understand how you feel. It was such an immense relief to get out of the harried, noisy, hustle, and bustle. We don't miss the city, but we do commute in when we need to. Dh only has to drive to a company office twice per month, so the 85 miles each way is easy for him to endure. It's also been good for me and my shopping habits. Nothing but a ridiculously poorly stocked Walmart exists in this county along with a few smaller grocery stores, hardwares, a dollar store, Hallmark shop, and beauty salons. We buy local from mom and pop shops when we can, but we have to plan our city trips. I think that's made me a more careful shopper. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 Actually, yes, we did live in Zig Zag Oregon for awhile. It's on the way up to Mt. Hood in Oregon. I'm so glad we do not live there now. Take a look at what's going on, right on the street we lived on. http://www.nwcn.com/home/Slow-but-steady-progress-for-flooded-community-near-Zigzag-Oregon-114157874.html I just looked at the video and it's not the one of zig zag. must have expired. But the photo of the river is in Zig Zag. Oh, and as far as crime. There IS sometimes crime in isolated places. Being away from the city can be nice, but getting too isolated has it's own problems. Right now we live in a fairly small town. I like having less crime and less traffic than the city. But going to the extreme of living in a place like Zig Zag, I don't want to do again. Good point about there being crime in small areas, too. But, lately, every time I go on my daily walk, I hear sirens. Every time. My kids even comment on that. (I tell them to be glad we don't have the helicopters with the search lights like we had in LA, but the sirens are bad enough.) I know it wouldn't be a perfect life outside the metropolis, but it seems that there would have to be LESS of most of the bad stuff. Wouldn't there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 We lived in town until recently in a not so great neighborhood. We tried to move way out but the house didn't work out. We now have 3 acres on the edge of town and I love it. Close enough to continue our activities but none of the crime, traffic noise... edited to add: we are much more relaxed than before. I can sendmy kids out to play by themselves in the yard and not worry about who is driving down the street or if that man is beating his wife again. We have 3 goats and are looking at chickens. We are happier because we feel safe and my son doesn't feel trapped like a prisoner in our home. That sounds like a very nice spot! I wish we could find something like this. But 3 acres on the edge of towns around here would cost millions. Housing prices are so high here that you really need to get all the way OUT before you can get any land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I live in suburbia in a very safe neighborhood. The keeping up with the Joneses mentality gets to me about once a year. I looked at houses in the middle of nowhere. I showed them to my daughter and she cried. We are staying put for the next few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classical Country Mama Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I completely understand how you feel. It was such an immense relief to get out of the harried, noisy, hustle, and bustle. We don't miss the city, but we do commute in when we need to. Dh only has to drive to a company office twice per month, so the 85 miles each way is easy for him to endure. It's also been good for me and my shopping habits. Nothing but a ridiculously poorly stocked Walmart exists in this county along with a few smaller grocery stores, hardwares, a dollar store, Hallmark shop, and beauty salons. We buy local from mom and pop shops when we can, but we have to plan our city trips. I think that's made me a more careful shopper. Faith Faith could be describing MY town. We started off just outside of DC, then moved outside of the Beltway, then out further near Dulles Airport... then finally three years ago, packed up and moved 83 miles away into the gorgeous Shenandoah Valley. For the same rent, instead of a basement apartment we live in a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 fireplace home on 3.5 acres. We look out our front windows at the Allegheny mountains and the back windows at the Blue Ridge. There's a creek on one side, and cows on all the other. (Except when it's burger time. Then all the cows mysteriously disappear.) And yes--our only shopping choices are Walmart (scary) and Food Lion. Our finest restaurant is the truckers' Cracker Barrel. No such animal as Starbucks; the closest mall is 35 minutes away. It really is like they say about the country--if I sneeze at home alone one morning, that afternoon the cashier will ask me how my cold is. "Mind your own business" does not compute. The pace is definitely different. Whenever I'm in a hurry, it's pretty much a guarantee I'll be stuck behind a tractor moseying comfortably along from the hayfield back to the barn. When I ask for things like "bread crumbs" at Walmart, they just look confused. On the other hand, in the summertime I can hardly open my front door without seeing a bag of fresh squash or tomatoes or peppers left by a neighbor. The guy next door plows our driveway for us without our asking. The farmers plow our road so we're dug out of snow before the city folks. We hear roosters and cows instead of traffic, and our water comes from a well in our own yard. I'm happy wherever I live (yes, even in the closet apartment in the 'hood where I had to run and hide behind the buildings at night so the guys would quit following me), so I can't really make a judgment call--but it's fun living somewhere new, breathing fresh valley air, watching the sun set over the pasture across the street (my avatar up there was taken from my driveway). Yummy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariston Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We moved from NYC to the middle of the tundra Alaska, and now we're in rural northern NY State (north of "upstate NY" :tongue_smilie:). I LOVE it and am so glad we left the city. I was pretty nervous about leaving. I thought there would be so many things I'd miss. But I hardly miss anything at all and the change in our quality of life is so dramatic that now I feel sorry for my friends who are still there raising kids. Sure, there is crime everywhere, but there is just no comparison speaking at least for the rural places I've lived. Our lives are just so much more peaceful. Not having to wait in long lines at stores or the DMV, not having to park a mile from the grocery store, not waiting in red lights, not getting in arguments with random people over stupid things....the list goes on and on. My son was only 1 when we left and our daughter wasn't even born yet, so I can't speak for how well your kids will adjust. People who don't like outdoorsy or country type stuff and who want to live near shopping malls and stores generally really hate it here. But our family loves being able to go on hikes, camping, etc. and not have to step over lots of trash (as we did when we went hiking anywhere within 2 hours of NYC.) We also like being able to go directly to farms for our milk, cheese, veggies and fruit. Rural AK was a nightmare, but when we moved here to norther NY I was on cloud 9 for at least a year...I just walked around feeling so lucky to live someplace to pretty/pristine/friendly/old-fashioned/safe etc.etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykdsmomy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 It's my dream :001_wub: but probably not a reality :crying: We don't have the money to move and with jobs being scarce, DH would not want to give up his job in search of something better :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I think we live out in the boonies and I'll tell you why! I had a nice typed up response and when I hit preview post it disappeared and my internet connection was gone! Gone! We live 3 miles further out now than a three weeks ago, we don't have dsl, we did have verizon.net which was okay. I bet I'll lose connection before I post this. We got this wireless connection service now, and I don't like it. Other than that, I wish I was within 2 hours of a clean beach or mountains, not living on the prairie. Beach and mountains are both eight hours away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Goldwater Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Yup, 15 yrs ago...never looked back... Barry, who just got done bottlefeeding his steak dinner (in about 11 months). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykdsmomy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Yup, 15 yrs ago...never looked back... Barry, who just got done bottlefeeding his steak dinner (in about 11 months). I can tell I'm a city girl when it took me a few minutes to figure out what you were saying ....I was thinking you were drinking pureed beef in a baby bottle :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbookbuzz Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Before I read all of the responses, let me just tell you - I like your thinking! I would love to move out of the city! We live one of the largest cities in the US although it's more spread out than most. However, I would like to live in a small town that's about 90 minutes north of here, and so would my husband. That way, we could drive to the city if we really needed and wanted to but we wouldn't have to always be.right.here. I say, "Head for the Boonies!" Just be prepared for a bit of culture shock and an adjustment period when you get there. Give yourselves time to get used to it! :^) (Maybe I'll follow you . . .) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We did. We used to live in the second largest city in Michigan, 10 minutes from the downtown. We do still own a condo there but I haven't been there in a year or so. DH goes back and I stay on our microfarm. It wasn't a bad life. Our condo luckily had a lot of green space and we butted up against a 5 acre even micro-y farm so that part was nice. But the people. The noise. The light. The cars. Now I go outside at night and 130 miles from the city, I can see stars and hear the cows lowing. I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We left suburbia for a country smaller town. It's big enough for a Walmart and 30 minutes in any direction is a bigger town. We've only been here since right before Christmas so I don't know much, but I can see the town square from my window, I can walk to the library, and we've met two neighbors. Rush hour is when there are four cars at the intersection by our house. I'm loving it over our previous suburban sprawl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 It's my dream :001_wub: but probably not a reality :crying: We don't have the money to move and with jobs being scarce, DH would not want to give up his job in search of something better :( :grouphug: Dh and I have been struggling with this being our reality too. I know exactly how you feel. I long for land, goats, chickens, and the space to make a HUGE garden. I also long for more privacy. Living in a subdivision is something we chose for the sake of our kids before the thought of homeschooling was in our minds. Now, we're stuck here, and while I love our house, I don't like having my neighbors so close. I've learned that I need more than 1/4 acre to thrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Oops! Posted and lost it! We did this! http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28840&highlight=grid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Yup, we did it and wouldn't trade it for anything, esp with kids. We live in south central PA. We're an hour from Harrisburg, 1 1/2 from Baltimore, 2 from DC or Philly, and 4 to NYC or Pitt. That's close enough to be close enough, yet far enough away to be mostly rural. We open our windows at night (in spring, summer, and fall) and hear frogs, owls, and crickets - occasional cows. My boys play in the road (1 car an hour on average, so no biggie). They play in the woods and fields (no wild animals big enough to worry about). We see bald eagles on a regular basis (nest is almost on our property). We have our own chickens and a large enough garden to give us decent produce. We have our own stocked pond. We have creek frontage (non-flooding side) in a wooded area so we have our own private campsite there (no flush toilet there though!). Our neighbors are gems, and not close enough to hear. They raise alpacas, horses, and cows (different neighbors). Our boys work at the U Pick Strawberries next door. One more 16 acre lot adjoining our property needs to be sold and built upon, but deed restrictions limit it to one house and something agricultural (garden, critters, etc), so I'm not too worried about who our neighbors will be. They'll fit in. Yet, I'm 5 minutes from my grocery store, 15 minutes from a Walmart or small mall or ample restaurant choices and 8 minutes from the public school where I work. It took me longer to get places when I lived in the city! And... the snow that fell a couple of weeks ago is still pristine white. When I go to the smaller cities nearby, that's not the case anymore. I can't imagine all that junk on the snow from car exhaust, etc, being in the air and in my lungs on a regular basis. I love country living! We do plan to sell in about 3 years when my youngest leaves for college. At that point, it will be too much work for just hubby and I... but I doubt we'll move to any city. We'll just leave the (small) farm we live on now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 We are getting fed up with the city. The traffic, the pace, the cost of living, the frantic consumerism, the crime, the cram-packed neighborhood, the never-ending search for parking, the crowds, the popular culture breathing down our kids' throats no matter how hard we try to downplay it... We aren't completely caught up in all of it. We homeschool, we don't do year-round sports, we don't buy tons of stuff, we have a small and modest home. But even when we get out of the city we're still in a crowd. Even the hiking trails and campgrounds around here are packed with people. In spite of our attempts to simplify things, it's all swirling around us, and I feel sort of stuck....I am constantly dreaming of a quieter life. Well, we have an opportunity to move out to the boonies. WAY out. Have any of you done this? Are you glad? Do you miss the city? How did your kids respond? How did YOU respond? Did it change your family life for the better? I would love to hear from any of you... We fled suburban Colorado Springs, pop. 400,000, for the Moonshine Capital of the World (seriously), VA, pop. 2000. In Colorado Springs, we were five minutes from Walmart, the mall, grocery stores, the interstate, post office, library, gas station, everything. (We weren't in the middle of the city though so didn't have parking or crime issues.) In Moonshineville, it took us five minutes to drive to the end of our one-lane road. The nearest town was 25 minutes away, pop. 4000, with a Walmart and a couple of grocery stores. It was novel in the beginning. We were on 5 acres in the woods. We were thrilled to be on a well (no more paying for water!) and a septic (no more outrageous sewer fees!). Within weeks, my kids forgot what traffic sounded like (didn't recognize a car on a nearby road, lol). We had a creek in the back of the property, and we could walk forever back there and never see anyone; we were isolated enough that I never put any window covering on my 4'x4' bathroom window. Three years later, we moved back to the suburbs (just an hour away from our house in the woods). I was sick of driving forever to do anything, to get anything. I constantly worried about the lack of access to emergency services, thinking our house could burn down, we could have a heart attack, and it'd take forever to get help. I felt stranded whenever the weather was bad; those country roads aren't cleared as well, or maintained as well, as the city roads. My kids never got to see their friends. I now have neighbors that I can see. I have window coverings. I am thrilled to be back on public water (no more worrying about the power going out to the well pump, or exactly WHAT I'm drinking). I am close to the grocery store and post office again, five minutes from the interstate. My ds saw his best friend more times in three months than he had in three years. We call the country time "the lost years." And yes, it did change our family life for the better. It gave us the opportunity to bond in a way that we never would have living in town. It was just us, no distractions. For that I am forever grateful. And every day I thank God for this house, in this place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfulMama Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 In 3 years we moved from small-urban (pop density 6,401) to queen-of-suburbia (3,370) to semi-rural (466). We are sooooo glad we moved from the first location. Within the time that we left the one pretty-empty road containing Walmart and Sam's Club has now become a mile long shopping strip. Crime is even more of a problem now than it was then. We were happy in suburbia, and we happened to be on the edge of it, so the farms weren't far away. We had almost an acre lot, which was fully fenced in the back. We had great tree coverage, and in the summer we felt more remote, as we couldn't see neighboring yards/houses as we could the rest of the year. We were able to have a great garden and would have had chickens, had we stayed longer. Shopping and museums were very close, and we had a great community park we could walk to, or ride bikes to. Now we are semi-rural. We are right off a highway connecting 2 small cities (40,000-50,000 each). The area we are in now has about 14,000 people. We live on a dozen acres. There are many mobile homes in the area. There are huge needs for many families in this area. The culture is very different, very homogeneous. Most value their privacy. Yet I love the freedoms we have here. Love the wildlife. Love the amazing skies. Love the nature. Love the dirt. Love the s-p-a-c-e. We are getting a Walmart, which I'm not thrilled with, but know it will be helpful, and will definately save on gas. I was happy with suburbia, but I love it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 We left a medium sized city for a mostly rural area. We plan to go more rural in a few years. Things that surprised me: -Tree frogs are LOUD! Kept me awake at night for a long time. -Geese poop everywhere, worse than having one spot of foreign dog poop on your lawn is having your entire yard covered in goose poop. Also dogs like to eat goose poop. Ewww. -It takes about the same amount of time to get to the stores because everyone drives eighty miles an hour, even on the twisty turny roads with the occasional amish buggy. -Lots of people fire guns, target practicing or hunting or whatever. They always sound too close. -Don't count on your road getting plowed when it snows. -Dirt roads turn into slippery, deep mud pits in the spring. This is worse than snow. -Mice. They are organized out here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralloyd Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I think it depends on the family. Our family, even when we lived in the city, spent time on the weekends camping, driving to good hiking trails, ect... We have always spent a lot of our extra time in nature. So when we moved to a small town, where the only things to really do are outdoors, it fit who we are. Now there are others that have moved here and can't stand it. These people are not the outdoor types. They complain about having nothing to do. They like how laid back everyone is, and how no one cares about how you look,what you have, ect... They just can't handle the slower pace of life or the lack of things to do. They miss the shopping, classes, indoor play places, & co-ops. So I say, take a good look at your family and who you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I know there is a zeitgiest of simplicity out there, and I completely understand why. But I've done it. Been there, and it brought me no more peace. Peace is created in your brain, not outside you. Outside can help-less to do, less to take care of, but you'll also find yourself bending the other way if life responsibilities come upon you. (I had gotten myself down to 9 plates, 10 towels, yada yada, and then I ended up having to host parties and family and NEEDED more-no, there was no getting out of it and it was to be a ministry for me at the time). Peace and simplicity starts by being present in the now, not paring down. We went from less populated to more populated. It's just where God planted us. And it's been a blessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I know there is a zeitgiest of simplicity out there, and I completely understand why. But I've done it. Been there, and it brought me no more peace. Peace is created in your brain, not outside you. Outside can help-less to do, less to take care of, but you'll also find yourself bending the other way if life responsibilities come upon you. (I had gotten myself down to 9 plates, 10 towels, yada yada, and then I ended up having to host parties and family and NEEDED more-no, there was no getting out of it and it was to be a ministry for me at the time). Peace and simplicity starts by being present in the now, not paring down. We went from less populated to more populated. It's just where God planted us. And it's been a blessing. Thank you for sharing this side of it, as this too, has been part of my struggle. I often wonder if stuck in suburbia is where we're supposed to be, and it's me who cannot find peace with it. I pray for God to guide us to where we are supposed to live, and He's yet to give me another answer aside from "here". :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Instead of a nice suburb where you could easily see what your neighbors were eating at dinner time (and smell it too) and a back yard so small that it took 15 minutes to mow and trim we now live on 12 wonderful PRIVATE acres of trees. DHs city commute was about 30 minutes each way. Now it is 45-60 minutes with most of that leisurely driving through the countryside. He does his best to avoid rush hour driving in the city (Austin). We LOVE the village we live by... youngest dd goes to PS there (great school)-- middle dd plays in the high school band (she is homeschooled) and oldest works at a small grocery store. We traded our nice home for a nicer (and much larger) home on 12 acres. We 'inherited' our neighbors horse a few years ago (neglect issue)... so we have a stable and a round pen plus 2 fenced yards (about 1 acre each). We have a GREAT playground for the kids (the olders still use it too)... lots of trees to climb and paths to meander. We can walk outside 'nekked' and no one would know (not that I would ever do such a thing but DH says he HAS:001_huh:...). We are 45 minutes away from shopping. 20 minutes from a large® grocery store.. When we lived in the city just getting out of our neighborhood took 15 minutes due to heavy traffic! LOVE IT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I often think about running for the hills but then I remember how crazy I get while visiting my mother in AZ. I have decided that I like the idea of living in the middle of nowhere but not actually doing it. I enjoy the conveniences of living where I do. In my perfect world I would have a home in the middle of nowhere and a home in the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbeee Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 We didn't live in a city, but rather, typical midwest average size town. Which, unfortunately has become ridden with methamphetamine and heroin down to the middle school level and well you all know the sad state of things these days. But yes, we packed up and ran for the hills. Only 45 minutes from "town"...but very much in the woods. Built a pond. Planted a garden. Learned to can. Began homeschooling. Eat only whole foods. Heat with wood. Cook with wood and on cast iron or glass only. Began shopping strictly second hand and just day by day learning how to provide more efficiently, simply, affordably, ethically, and wholesomely for ourselves. We didn't realize when we moved, that we were starting our own little mini-movement. But we have become incredibly humble and happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykdsmomy Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Thank you for sharing this side of it, as this too, has been part of my struggle. I often wonder if stuck in suburbia is where we're supposed to be, and it's me who cannot find peace with it. I pray for God to guide us to where we are supposed to live, and He's yet to give me another answer aside from "here". :) :iagree: I needed to hear that too. I often think the grass is always greener but I need to remember to seek contentment wherever we are :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Sherry Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 ............. I know it wouldn't be a perfect life outside the metropolis, but it seems that there would have to be LESS of most of the bad stuff. Wouldn't there? Oh, certainly, there may be less of the bad stuff. It all depends on what is going on in the particular place you want to move compared to where you currently live. When we lived in Zig Zag years ago, there were some people from a homeschool group I spoke to who lived up and down the freeway in remote areas who did not go anywhere without always taking their children with them. Homes were being robbed at that time, even when people were home in them. The criminals could figure out where the one police officer for the area was by listening to a scanner. Those people did not even leave their children home with a babysitter. But I don't know what the situation is there now. However, I would call that remote, not just rural. I like living in a small town much better than in a city. Less traffic, less crime, friendlier people. But there are extremes of being too remote that can make life harsher instead of better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) We moved from the capital city of our state to the largest rural city and weren't very happy to have to come back again. We'll be moving out to a small town a bit over an hour away as soon as we can get a house deposit together! It took me about four months before I didn't feel a sense of oppression from leaving our street. Where we'll move to is half an hour south of another major rural centre, so we won't even have to come in to Melbourne for anything. I'm fond of the city, but to visit. I don't like to live in the suburbs. Oddly, one of the things I found really confronting about moving back were the number of billboards. Where we used to live, there were about three in the whole town. I don't even look at them enough to be able to tell you what they were advertising, most of the time, but the visual noise of it was offensive. That sounds really dumb, but there it was! Rosie Edited February 4, 2011 by Rosie_0801 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Aw Rosie, you should move out here , there is not a single billboard anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Aw Rosie, you should move out here , there is not a single billboard anywhere. But, but, there are Gippslanders down there :001_huh: :lol: Rosie- hoping to get to Seymour- which is probably full of bogans too. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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