ADJUSTING TO THE SMALL TOWN WAY OF LIFE...
There are a few questions you can start with when deciding if a small country town would be right for you. Maybe these seem too obvious but I'll try to answer them anyway...
1. Do I mind seeing the same people - a LOT?
2. Do I mind driving the same roads - a LOT?
3. Am I willing to do a lot of my shopping via the Internet?
4. Am I used to eating out a lot at a variety of restaurants?
5. Do I have a car?
6. Am I afraid of animals in general?
7. Am I afraid of snakes and ticks or, salamanders?
8. Can I possibly exist without high-speed internet?
I ask question #7 because I watched this activity while taking my morning coffee break on the deck just a week or three ago...I took a picture...some would not...would you?
Have a question you'd like answered about living in the country?
Taken individually, here are some thoughts about the questions above...
#1. People
You will see the same people a lot more often in a small country town. This would seem to be just simple common sense, but you will see these people often enough that they will soon know quite a bit about your habits - shopping, absences, etc. If I work at home more than about three days in a row and my car doesn't leave the driveway, my neighbor will call to see if I am ok. This is fine with me - it might be totally annoying to you.
The good news (to me) is, I see a lot LESS people...everywhere I go. Less of a line at the Post Office, less traffic on the roads...I LOVE this aspect of country living which leads me to...
#2. Driving
This is minor, but I must admit I get tired of driving the same few paths from place to place in my small town. I take side trips and find some interesting backroad routes just to relieve the boredom and to give my Mini Cooper S a little exercise. But, since there is not a lighted intersection every half a mile, I actually get to DRIVE - not sit and ponder how much time I am being forced to waste. I may have to go the distance, but at least I'm in forward-motion most of the time.
#3. Touchy-feely shopping
Is handling all the merchandise important to you?
You'll find you are doing a LOT of your shopping via the Internet...unless you like to drive 50 miles+ to get to a mall or to a suburban/urban shopping center. I'd prefer not to waste half the day getting there so have spent a fair amount of time researching the best value shopping sites via the Internet. It is rarely more than a minor inconvenience and just requires a bit of additional planning.
#4. Dining out
Chances are, your nights spent eating out will be significantly reduced if you relocate to a rural area. There are restaurants and some have some surprisingly good food, but variety of restaurant type is usually limited. Chain restaurants are not likely to be located in a lot of rural towns. Their presence is determined by demographics and if your rural area doesn't have the right numbers, Olive Garden, Bennigans, Papa John's and sometimes (believe it or not), even McDonald's, will not be nearby. This is not a bad thing to me...I will go where I need to go when I really want a good meal out, otherwise I fix my own. I save money and I eat less if a plate of food followed by a dessert menu is not shoved under my nose. Online ordering of organic and specialty foods has alleviated this potential lack of availability and/or variety.
#5. Automotive necessity
I know there are a few intrepid souls in this world who have reached an adult age without ever owning a vehicle. I can tell you that none of them live in the country. Mass transit is slim to none in rural areas. You can't catch a bus and a taxi service may not be available either. Riding a bike may sound like a great way to get around a rural area, but it is not very practical except for recreational and exercise usage - similar to the city. What is different from the city is the lack of sidewalks and identified bike paths and, any stores you'd need to get to are seldom less than 5 or 10 or 20 miles apart. Unless you are in really good shape and have unlimited time to do your tasks, you'll need a car. Maybe it's time to look at a SmartCar? Rural areas are a perfect place for them.
#6. Country creatures
I have a friend who is afraid of bugs. Not just particular bugs, but ALL BUGS. I haven't seen her in awhile...
If you can be traumatized by a lady bug, please do yourself a favor and do NOT move to the country. On top of bugs city-folk may know about, there are some rather large specimens of unknown origins that tend to live in the country. Some are really pretty like this guy I found last week - some are not so cute - some bite which leads to...
#7. Things that "bug" you
Bugs and other "things" that move through the country environment...
When I lived in Hawaii I had to get used to geckos. Everyone knows what a gecko is now thanks to the Geico advertisements. Who'd have guessed that those lizards crawling across my ceiling and up my walls in 1980 would become media television stars in the new millenium?
I haven't seen geckos lately but I have seen skinks, salamanders, ticks, mice, rabbits, frogs, toads, geese, herons, snakes, wild turkeys (not in bottles), a fox, several beaver, several otters, and deer. There are also tiny bugs called "chiggers" that are not seen but boy are they "heard." Once you get them on your wrists or ankles, they are with you for a week to 10 days. They are little flea-like creatures that live in overgrowth and damp areas.
My neighbor tells me a clorox soak will kill them, but how many of your body parts are you willing to soak in clorox? Chiggers make you itch like crazy and since you can't see them, it is often a day or two before you know you've been invaded. Sprays and repellents have proven less than stellar in well, repelling chiggers.
