Hello from Anita!
On a recent trip, probably 100 miles west of us, there is a whole lot of nothing. There's a reason that electric cars aren't so popular in the rural parts of Texas. It can take three days to drive across the second largest state in America.
You don’t want to run out of gas, but you certainly don’t want your electric batteries to give up the ghost!
The good ol boys in their lifted trucks with auxillary diesel tanks, whizzing by at 90 mph, might stop to help you- just to get a look at that snazzy car, but the best they could do would be a lift to the next truck stop.
Out west, there's lots of rural property that is very, very distant between towns and each town has very little to offer. Heart clogging food, no decent grocery stores, no medical care. Many of the little towns outside of the main Metropolis areas are either abandoned or not much happening because there are more goats than people.
But cheap land. And some of it has oil under it!
It all depends on what you can afford because it costs more to be near a city. The closer to a city you are, the more expensive it is.
I got to thinking about what is the difference between country living, a rural lifestyle and being remote. Now some people think that where we live is remote.
Remote to me, is living in the Alaska backwoods.
Any place that has more bears and wolves than people is crossed off my list! Same with rattlesnakes and cactus.
One of the best things about country living is a small community. There are lots of other people doing the same thing. We have a little farmers market, it's not huge, but it is a fun place to go. Once a week there's music and there's food, and there's lots of people you’ll recognize.
The town we picked it happens to be the county seat and it is very popular for tourists and so there's a lot of support in this area. We have a small hospital. We have a decent grocery store. We actually have a Natural Foods here and there are other things like fairly great restaurants.
This is a popular grape growing and wine tasting area. Wine and song attracts tourists which is invigorating.
It's annoying on weekends, but if you don't need to go to Main Street, you won't even really notice it during the week, except we reap the benefits of a support system built on tourist dollars.
More shops, better restaurants, interesting events- like the HUG IN coming up in Luckenbach on Valentines Day. ❤️
Some states have great outdoor recreation or beautiful water features. A small town with a lake or a river or beautiful mountains would be high on my relocation list if I ever had to move again.
A small college or University nearby could potentially provide a more lively atmosphere, although that could be a double edged sword…
I love living in the slow moving, small town South. I like being in the “so called” Bible Belt. I appreciate a 4H kid learning to raise and sell prize turkeys.
It’s handy to have a Kubota tractor dealer, 4 feed stores and an Ace Hardware if you have livestock and a grow things.
Even though we don’t have a Home Depot, Lowes or Costco, the employees here actually know exactly where to find a replacement for that 1/4 inch screw and will escort you over there.
You can even find a parking spot!
Even though I got an Expresso machine for Christmas, I still might slip over to the local coffee shop to meet a friend and sip a vanilla latte and a chocolate croissant while catching up on the latest news.
Country living is the best!
What’s your ideal?
My ideal is somewhere quiet where there are no barking dogs, coyotes, chickens, trains, airplanes, sirens, factories, traffic, thunderstorms or critters to wake me up every night. I'm beginning to think that no such place exists above the dirt.
Smiles! We're clearly on the same page. (Where the Asphalt Ends - https://substack.com/inbox/post/140129617) How we define "country" differs wildly even between spouses. It's when we start talking about what we really mean and what we really want from country living that we can make the decision and enjoy the aspects you beautifully showcased in your blog. We made a good, though (inadvertent) tag team. Kind wishes!