Growing up in the city- the third highest in population in the state, I couldn't wait to grow up, move away and settle my family in a small town. It took 30 years but it finally happened. I went from a city population of over one million to a town population of 552.
Leaving the hustle and bustle of city life behind was a good day for me. Slow paced living; waving to every passing car and being neighborly were in my sights.
The advantages I've discovered are:
- Having a large garden filled with my family's favorite vegetables. The garden is about an acre in size and is overflowing with tomatoes, corn, potatoes, beans, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, pickles and cucumbers and zucchini. There's enough there to fill our pantry for the year plus have fresh vegetables for months. We also give away some or barter and trade with others.
- We can sit outside, have a bonfire and talk till all hours of the night without being disturbed. We have the opportunity to get to know each other, our children and ourselves better.
- I've relearned the art of baking from scratch- a lost art in the modern day. I scour the Internet for recipes, I trade with friends I've met on online forums and I experiment until I find just the right method. My kitchen is supplied with a Cuisinart mixer, two bread machines and gadgets for easier baking and cooking.
- I've always been frugal and looked for ways to save money but since moving to the country nine years ago, I've discovered there's more ways to live cheaper and continue being happy. I dry my laundry outside in the summer and in the wood heated basement in the winter, I use the library resources on a daily basis, I barter with neighbors for many items and services and I've learned to use the Internet to sell, buy, barter and research.
- I've become more organized with my errands and outings. Since we have to travel a minimum of 25 miles to the nearest grocery store I plan out my travels very carefully. If something is forgotten then it waits until the next trip. I grocery shop three times a month- this teaches you to stretch your food dollar and to use up what's in your pantry. I've become very creative with my cooking and baking.
- Privacy isn't always an issue- we have plenty of it here in the country. We live one mile outside of town but wherever you go there's someone to chat with for a minute, someone to wave at as you drive and someone to you know. The kids can't get away with anything because once an event happens; the telephone lines are burning to my house. This is a definite benefit…it's true what they say, “it's takes a town to raise a child”.
- We're raising chickens, for eggs and eventually the freezer, and pigs for the freezer. We've learned over the years- you don't name your livestock because the kids won't eat it if it had a name.
The disadvantages I've discovered are:
- having to travel so far for groceries and supplies,
- sometimes the lack of privacy becomes aggravating,
- the lack of shopping variety without having to travel long distances (over 50 miles each way) and
- sometimes the cost of items are more here than in the city- but we adjust.
