I have a dream that I have often shared on my blog, it is a simple dream which includes having a little house, at least an acre of land, a couple of dogs, a few hens for eggs, perhaps a goat or two, and a rescue cat or three ;0) From my kitchen window I can see our garden and the hills & countryside which surround us, my children playing and fruits and vegetables growing in abundance. Right now this little dream is completely out of reach and may be for some time. I've always lived in cities or suburbs (both in North America and England) and when I began to love the countryside I wanted to live the life straight away. I used to find it depressing that I simply didn't have the resources to fund such a dream, but through some little changes I've found ways to bring the countryside into my every day life and have never looked back. I may still have the dream, but I also now as much as possible, living a country life in a city.
So I thought I'd share some tips for how to having the rural life (or perhaps some of the best bits of it) while having to live in the city or suburbs! Please do share any tips you have in the comments!
The first thing I did was start walking, every single day. At the time I was caring for several children full time as their own immediate family couldn't take care of them. How I wanted us to be able to spend more time with them exploring rivers and streams, yet with full time work, children in school and homework needing doing, all we could manage was a simple walk. The goal became to get out for 30 minutes every single evening and an hour each weekend. It gave us a chance to relax, regroup, chat about the day and enjoy some nature. Sometimes walks had to simply be around our neighbourhood and didn't involve any real exposure to nature, other times when we had a bit more time or the evenings were getting lighter we could drive to a local park or nature centre and then start from there. The goal was simply a chance to relax, get some natural form of exercise and escape the indoors!
I then began looking at what activities we were doing, yes there were swimming lessons and gymnastics for the children and I was pretty active at my gym (pre-kids) but I began to think about how we could get more exercise in the great outdoors while still being limited to a very strict budget. Some things we/I've enjoyed is hiking at the weekends, beginning with 30 minutes and working ourselves up to a good 2 hour hike on Saturdays and Sundays! We also tried canoeing, kayaking, swimming in the local lake/pond, skating on outdoor rinks and bike riding! By looking around and diversifying, I was able to stick within our $50 a month entertainment budget and yet make sure we enjoyed some of what the real outdoors has to offer!
Another change that made me feel more a part of the rural life was to begin to eat more local food. This was something I felt was impossible initially and to be honest resisted - I felt I simply didn't have the budget to support farmers or the time to "shop around". How wrong I was! By looking around, speaking to others, phoning my local council, I found out about little farmer's shops & stalls and local food co-ops. I now purchase about 50-75% of my fruits, veg, dairy and breads from farmers or markets and my grocery budget went down. In fact I slashed it by 75% which is something I've talked a lot about on my blog. Yes, it does mean I vary where I shop and yes I do often visit 2 shops in a week but the health benefits and feeling from supporting my local farmers and bringing the rural life into my kitchen is priceless!
Another food choice I've made is to try to grown my own. I don't have a garden and am on a very long (3 year!) waiting list for an allotment, what I have been able to do is take a small part of my mum's garden to attempt to grow my own and recently a friend has said I'm more than welcome to help her on her allotment. So don't hesitate to ask around, perhaps if you offer to cut someones lawn they'll happily let you use their garden for growing fruits and veg! Of course even without space you can grow window box herbs or have small plant pots by your door/window.
Finally one of the best ways I was able to enjoy some of the rural life while living in the city was to lessen our commitments to city pursuits and increase our time for rural pursuits specifically spending time with animals. I found two city farms which had various talks, volunteer opportunities, craft making events and great facilities to spend a lazy Saturday enjoying. I found out about several local reservoirs and forests that had trails, we started exploring more and more, making time to feed ducks rather than run errands. Instead of meeting friends for time at an indoor play place, we began meeting friends for hikes, farm trips, bike rides and nature walks. Spending time enjoying a picnic and drawing pictures of the animals we came across became a favourite activity!
I have turned from someone who rarely escaped the office, car & home to someone who every single day finds ways of bringing the rural life in. I now would much rather hike and chat then sit & chat. I've gone from feeling I'll never have the life I want to feeling I'm living in transition - transition that will eventually mean living in the country, a life I'll be really ready to embrace!
So I'd love to hear from you. How do you get nature or outdoors time when you are busy living and working in the city or suburbs? Have you got any tips for our readers?
14 comments:
Hey FT, love the pig. He/she looks so happy!
I once yearned for a bit more land when I first started gardening, but once I figured out that chooks don't need too much room and help do all the hard work for you (digging, fertilising etc.). We also found that you can squeeze a veggie patch in just about anywhere/any sized space, and have planted fruit trees instead of grass in the front yard, I don't really have the calling for a larger space anymore. I have 779 square metres, which is about a 10th of an acre, and it does us fine. I love feeding the chickens every morning before work and then walking out the front door past the veggie patch to get to my car on the way to work. Some times I pull a few weeds or pick a cherry tomato or even just admire the view before I head off.
I love country living in suburbia and now that our neighbours have the same bug, we swap produce as well!
Your dream sounds so much like mine, but I too am stuck as a city dweller. We walk a lot. We live a short drive from the ocean, so we get there as often as we can. And we have no curtains, because sunlight and that open feeling is more important than privacy.
What a great dream! You've come up with great ways to manage your feelings and learn to be content in your current situation.
Mr Chiots and I want to have a few acres in the country. We're using this time to learn as much as we can about growing crops, ammending soil and things we would use if we lived in the country.
For anyone in an urban environment and doesn't have much space, a hive or two of bees could provide honey and beeswax. Some people keep hives on flat roofs or balconies. As long as certain siting precautions are taken, there should be no problems with neighbors. Sometimes an urban setting is very rich pickings for bees with varied flowers and trees in and around. Better sometimes than monocrop agriculture often seen in the countryside.
I loved this post! I too strive to find more "rural" in my very urban lifestyle. Like you, I dream about "some day" . . . Great suggestions here.
Gav, 779 m2 is 1/5th of an acre. You've got twice the space you thought! Get out there and plant more! Hehe. :-)
We've had the same rural dream for quite a while, and it's now looking like we might be just about to realise it. We're very excited at the prospect!
I too have shared your dream, but now I know, due to ill health, I will never realise it.
BUT, I have made it to the transition stage! I now have an allotment and grow most of my own veg, make a lot of my own clothes, and I am experimenting in cheese making and general food fermentation, all slap bang in a run down part of London, UK. If a sick old woman can do that, you can get to the country girl, just keep the goal in mind!
I can't really speak of finding the rural life in the city, as we have our 3/4 of an acre, but I just wanted to say that having made it, and started doing all those things I 'dreamed' about, I realise I could have done it in a much smaller space! We love having all our space, but as far as food growing goes, we only use a very small area of our land.
I am always amazed at how little space is needed to provide for us more than we can use!
Very good points, and as an apartment dweller I too long for a garden... but I'd also encourage city people to not just pretend they're somewhere else, but also to enjoy, really enjoy the city stuff that you don't get elsewhere. Read Jane Jacobs and develop an appreciation for the great city neighbourhoods where you live. Check out the Chinatown and the Little Italy. Sit on a bench in a public square and people watch -- you see such diversity of people in a big city. Go on walking tours. Read up on architecture and try to identify the styles and features of the different buildings. Peruse the art museum -- there may be a time when it's free or half price. Take full advantage of the large library collections you have access to. Attend free lectures or low-cost theatre at the local university. Be a part of your city, and learn to appreciate its many virtues, even if you hope to be in a completely different environment someday.
Hi, I am a Taiwanese reader and have been read your posts every day. Now I have a question for you: How to deal with difficult neighbor(s), if have. Actually, I am facing this problem.
I am always dreaming to live in the countryside but it seems very difficult to achive the goal in the few years. I am living in the downtown area in my country. We are living in apartment like building for we are a small country though. Hence, we need to meet people at the same building all the time.
I love to live in the countryside because I think rural people is more friendly but actually not. At leat in my country. This is human being.
Need to know your comments. Thanks.
I agree with Gavin -- I'm happy on my 822 sq. m (1/5 acre) in the geographic centre of Sydney, with my home-grown vegies and fruit and chooks. Supplying most of your own food full-time is a big ask, and very physically demanding: read 'Musings of a Stonehead'! I grow some of my own food part-time and enjoy the benefits of city living as well.
Stick with the dream it is achievable, use your time while you're waiting to learn all you can about the life you want to live, learn the skills you'll need for that future, visit the sorts of places you want to live and talk to people living their dream so you can learn the reality.Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's heartbreaking when the Goshawk gets your precious hens, sometimes it's frustrating until you learn new ways of pacing yourself and your achievements..next week,next year may have to do instead of now.It cost money constantly even when you recycle, barter,swap, make do.There's always that new farm gate to buy,feed for the birds and animals, a new tank to replace one that has become a sieve and you have no mains water although the bonus is two raised beds from the old tank cut in halves!
You might like to visit my blogs where I go on about all this and what I've learned.One is for fun and the other also for fun but with more serious issues.Drop by, hope you enjoy!And good luck, it can happen!
Hi F/T
I too wanted and acre,but soon realised that Ican grow more than I need on my 728sq.What I don't grow I buy at a local grocer who only stocks local grown veg & meat.We go on walks and picnics to feed the ducks.I also go to open gardens and learn from the owners how to do new and exciting this in my own place.I love your blog and its always a interesting ,encouraging place to check out.Good luck I know you can achive anything you want as you are a lovely person and very creative.
Post a Comment