Country life can seem like an idyllic paradise to some but for others it is a nightmare. I spent the first 18 years of my life living just outside Vancouver, then five years in Edmonton before buying a house in the “country-adjacent” town of Devon. But in 2015, I moved to the COUNTRY with my better half. Let’s just say there was a steep learning curve and there are some challenges to living “out in the boonies” but overall I have to say this was the best move of my life!
The best parts of living in the country…
1. Neighbours
We live in my husband’s childhood home; that in itself is really cool. But, the neighbours and people in our community are amazing, they are kind, friendly and the mentality of helping each other out really rings true here. I feel safer here, simply because we know lots of people and we all depend on one another.
2. Summers
The summers here are beautiful, everything is green and full of life. It is refreshing and being able to spend hours outside is great, with the birds chirping and the creek rushing. Our quality of life has definitely improved. I spend summer nights star gazing.
3. Activities
My eyes have been opened to new fun and exciting activities. As well, the space we have allowed us to continue with beloved hobbies. From bird hunting in the fall, deer hunting in November, ice fishing at the lake nearby in the winter and gardening in the spring and summer or golfing on the front lawn; we are never not busy.
4. Peace & Quiet
No sirens, car alarms, yelling, traffic. Restful.
5. Organic Food
And this doesn’t come with a hefty price-tag from a grocery store. Being able to grow lots of our own fruits and vegetables gives us a sense of pride but also peace of mind that we aren’t eating pesticide-laced produce. We harvest our own meat in the form of goose, duck, moose, deer and fish. It reduces food costs, gets us off the couch and allows us to spend time together.
The drawbacks of living in the country…
1. Isolation
I’ll admit it took a bit of getting used to being so far from family and friends. I find it most difficult to be here on my own when my husband is gone to work for weeks at a time (especially during winter but I will get to that next). Occasionally I miss the hustle and bustle of the city.
2. Winters
The sheer amount of snow we get and the LONG driveway we have to clear is daunting. Luckily, my husband does this and our neighbour helps us out with his tractor but when I am on my own I feel overwhelmed. Plus, winter road conditions sometimes keep us more home bound than we would like.
3. Amenities
Being so far out from the city in a small hamlet, we don’t have the amenities that I enjoyed in my youth and sometimes feel nostalgic for, like fancy restaurants, movie theaters or certain beloved stores. Plus, many places, for example Sears won’t service our area so when something breaks down it can be quite the mess around to find someone to come out. Oh, and the internet is pretty sketchy out here too!
4. Chores
There is a lot that goes into the upkeep of our home and land; for example mowing acres and acres of grass, maintaining fencing, weeding, cutting trees (again, I am spoil my husband does this) and it is time consuming. It isn’t all play…mind you it isn’t all work but I wasn’t prepared for how long our to-do lists sometimes are. You can’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.
5. Mosquitos & Wasps
They can be INSANE…need I say more?? I spent a lot of time applying bug spray, Afterbite and ingesting Benadryl as well as swelling and itching. We have wasp traps up everywhere, bug zappers and a mosquito vacuum…It hardly made a dent. Sometimes it makes it hard to live an outdoor lifestyle or sit on the deck to enjoy the view.