country living for two novices -- advice? (Madison, Stoughton: fit in, lease)

[mmmaggiemay]

Hi all,

I've been out of the state of Wisconsin for two years now and I'm already itching to get back to my roots. I'm currently living in Chicago working a 9-5 job that's going nowhere fast, going through a bit of a quarter-life crisis right now and looking to move back to WI with my boyfriend once my lease is up next year. We both can't wait to get out of the city and live more simply. Frankly, the parking tickets, the massive sink-hole of rent payments, the congestion, the traffic...it's not for us. Chicago is an amazing place to visit, and I'm glad to have spent the time here that I did. But I'm ready to move on.

I've been looking at places in/near the Baraboo area, and this seems like the ideal location for us. We love camping and hiking and want to be within close proximity to places where we can train to hike the Appalachian Trail, but also within easy access to Madison and Stoughton area to visit family and to experience a little culture and entertainment on the weekends as well. Being within a few hours of Chicago is a huge plus as well, since we'll probably be back to visit friends fairly often.

We've talked about this, and we both want to get back to basics and live in the country, somewhere remote. Ideally renting a one or two-bedroom house and doing basic maintenance to get a discount on rent if possible.

My only concern is, I'm worried about living in the country with...how shall I put this...no "country" equivalent to "street smarts." My boyfriend was a boy scout and we are both very industrious and willing to learn...but by no means do we have the skills yet to live by ourselves in the country for an extended period of time. All we have is an old Toyota Corrolla, and I can easily see us getting stranded during the cold, snowy winter months.

I guess my question is, does this kind of thing just come with experience, or are we hopelessly naive in wanting to make our way in a completely different lifestyle? We are both very passionate about this and want it to work, but can't help feeling like complete novices.

Any tips, advice, etc. would be hugely appreciated.


It doesn't help that I just watched "Into The Wild" and can totally see myself in the main character...I don't want to die cold and alone in a bus! Help!

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by mmmaggiemay

Hi all,

I've been out of the state of Wisconsin for two years now and I'm already itching to get back to my roots. I'm currently living in Chicago working a 9-5 job that's going nowhere fast, going through a bit of a quarter-life crisis right now and looking to move back to WI with my boyfriend once my lease is up next year. We both can't wait to get out of the city and live more simply. Frankly, the parking tickets, the massive sink-hole of rent payments, the congestion, the traffic...it's not for us. Chicago is an amazing place to visit, and I'm glad to have spent the time here that I did. But I'm ready to move on.

I've been looking at places in/near the Baraboo area, and this seems like the ideal location for us. We love camping and hiking and want to be within close proximity to places where we can train to hike the Appalachian Trail, but also within easy access to Madison and Stoughton area to visit family and to experience a little culture and entertainment on the weekends as well. Being within a few hours of Chicago is a huge plus as well, since we'll probably be back to visit friends fairly often.

We've talked about this, and we both want to get back to basics and live in the country, somewhere remote. Ideally renting a one or two-bedroom house and doing basic maintenance to get a discount on rent if possible.

My only concern is, I'm worried about living in the country with...how shall I put this...no "country" equivalent to "street smarts." My boyfriend was a boy scout and we are both very industrious and willing to learn...but by no means do we have the skills yet to live by ourselves in the country for an extended period of time. All we have is an old Toyota Corrolla, and I can easily see us getting stranded during the cold, snowy winter months.

I guess my question is, does this kind of thing just come with experience, or are we hopelessly naive in wanting to make our way in a completely different lifestyle? We are both very passionate about this and want it to work, but can't help feeling like complete novices.

Any tips, advice, etc. would be hugely appreciated.


It doesn't help that I just watched "Into The Wild" and can totally see myself in the main character...I don't want to die cold and alone in a bus! Help!

Tips (for what it is worth):

1. Every foot of your private driveway will need to be maintained. Counties are plowing snow out in the boonies less frequently to save bucks. It will be up to you (unless you pay someone) to have the equipment/muscles to maintain ingress/egress.

2. The old timers were a tough bunch. If you buy an older home, expect little in the way of insulation. It'll be up to you to figure out how to stay warm, and afford to do so.

3. Locals: They are normal people (for the most part), but understand you didn't move to a theme park, either. Most any behavior you saw in the city will be repeated in the country- if you stay long enough to experience what humankind has to offer in your vicinity.

4. Beer freezes at 18F. That is critical Wisconsin lore.

Good luck. Stay out of that darn bus once it gets below freezing!

[ccjarider]

I guess I do not understand the concern. Unless you are choosing to go w/o electricity and running water, what will be so different?

[BadgerGrl]

We are also looking to move to a rural part of Wisconsin in the future. I've done some research and there are a few books you might find interesting.

Amazon.com: Leaving the City: 101 Tips for Moving to the Country (9780971617421): Jeanie Peck: Books

Amazon.com: Moving To A Small Town: A Guidebook To Moving From Urban To Rural America (9780684802237): Wanda Urbanska, Frank Levering: Books

Amazon.com: Starting A New Life In Rural America: 21 Things You Need to Know…

These are just a few books, and you'll find many more on Amazon that may interest you more than these. I suggest books, as they will make you sit down and really think about your options, versus a few replies in a chat forum to help you make a big life-changing decision. Probably most important is that you should take into consideration your new neighbors, and whether or not you will fit in with the community, no matter its size. Trading one living extreme for the other would be a big shock in my opinion, and be sure you are not doing this as a reaction to your current situation. If you do go ahead with the change, try renting for a few years and see how you like it.

[BadgerGrl]

I forgot to ask, what fields are your careers in? Finding a job in a rural area will be tough for some professions. Take into account the economy, and make that pretty much all professions.

[ImaloneJill]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

Tips (for what it is worth):

4. Beer freezes at 18F. That is critical Wisconsin lore.

Good luck. Stay out of that darn bus once it gets below freezing!

LOL! Good advice!

[mmmaggiemay]

18F....critical info as we are thinking of learning to brew our own beer. Also, thanks for the practical tips. That's what I was looking for in this post, in terms of situations that we might not anticipate that will end up causing us a whole lot of grief. We might be able to get a hold of a used snowblower from a family member, so hopefully that won't be too much of a problem?

BadgerGrl -- thanks! I will definitely look into buying at least one of those books. I think this most definitely IS a reaction to my current situation, but I've given city living a good chance, and learned that it just isn't for me. I've had a long time to think this through, and will have a whole year before we "pull the trigger" and actually move up there. So I'll talk more with family & friends about it and try to come to the right decision. We are somewhat homebodies but I don't see making friends as being a huge challenge, especially since we both have roots in Wisco.

We are both looking to go to grad school in Madison (fingers crossed) and I'm going to try to find a part time job to help pay rent and tuition, in addition to taking out loans. My bf has quite a bit of savings to get him through -- money is not a problem for him. I might have the option of working for my dad in Madison, so the work situation -- while not exactly ideal -- could be worse.

[dreamhunter65]

Look for place can raise own animals for food and such. Gardens work good and could can/freeze as most ready before school starts. Do either of you hunt? Wild game to fill freezer and is good for you helps reduce expenses.
Look for a place with open southern exposure and windows for sun to help and with tree's (pines best) to make wind blocks on North side of house reduces heating expense some. Outdoor furnaces nice if can find place to cut own firewood. Better to get a old farmhouse than the prefabricated houses that have no insulation. If cannot get a snowblower make friends fast with someone who owns a truck and plow. Way seems with all rain we have had guessing be a good amount of snow this year and if listen to old farmers just look how tall corn is and height of cobs from ground it is supposed to be a indicator of how much snow will fall.

[r_k]

Move closer to Madison than Baraboo if you plan to work or study in Madison. That's a long commute over treacherous roads in the winter.