How I can find out if small town or rural living is for me?

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by ISTJ Vortex

I feel that I would like living in a small town or semi-rural place but have no idea if I could be happy in such a place or how I would experience such a life.

I also feel that I would like living remotely / self-sufficiency, but I haven't done this before and I haven't a clue about the realities of this kind of living, as it is today.

I grew up in one of the largest cities in the world until a few years ago. I am currently living in a moderate-sized city.

There must be tons of things to take into account before making such a move and the things that I take for granted and which I probably don't think about much (because of my background) are the ones that I worry about the most and that they will surface only after the move has happened.

I know that I would worry about law and order and about people having their own ideas of what law is. Also, that because somehow I don't do what everyone else does, this might make me less welcome.

I also think about practical things and having access to all the usual services that everyone needs and which are likely be less available, possibly to a lower standard or be harder to reach in smaller/ more remote places.

Is there a book, checklist or good website where I can find out what small town /rural or remote living is like?

I would be living alone if I made such a move but I would probably get a dog or 2.

The only way you can find out what it is like is to experience it for yourself. I would advise perhaps renting a house in the country for a short period of time.

I will grant you that rural life is very different but I would not trade it for city life for all the world. The "peace and quiet" is like gold to me. As far as your concerns, it depends on how much interaction you need with other members of society. As far as having access to all the "usual services" I'm not sure what constitutes a "usual service". Nor what you consider "access". I have to drive 17 miles to the grocery store but that doesn't stop me from eating.

You might check out homesteadingtoday.com and homestead.org to get a little taste of what kind of folks enjoy a rural environment and what kind of values they have.

20yrsinBranson

[Mrs. Skeffington]

[quote=20yrsinBranson;25257608]The only way you can find out what it is like is to experience it for yourself. I would advise perhaps renting a house in the country for a short period of time.

I will grant you that rural life is very different but I would not trade it for city life for all the world. The "peace and quiet" is like gold to me. As far as your concerns, it depends on how much interaction you need with other members of society. As far as having access to all the "usual services" I'm not sure what constitutes a "usual service". Nor what you consider "access". I have to drive 17 miles to the grocery store but that doesn't stop me from eating.

You might check out homesteadingtoday.com and homestead.org to get a little taste of what kind of folks enjoy a rural environment and what kind of values they have.


Amen to this. I live on the outskirts of a quiet little rural town, but it's nothing compared to my daughter's place. She lives way out in the country, and I've been spending a lot of long weekends there this summer. It is very quiet - that is until you hear the clip clop of Amish buggies on the road past her place, or when the tree frogs start up. There is no cable TV (no cable in their area, and they don't have a dish). The best part of the day is going exploring early in the morning - down dirt roads past nothing but soybean and corn fields, cows, horses, woods. The closest little town is ten miles away, and it doesn't have much of the amenities. A place to get takeout pizza and a Dairy Queen. One grocery store, which she doesn't care for, so she stocks up on groceries in the larger municipality where she works. No neighbors. It's pure seclusion.