Post by Tom on Jul 14, 2021 12:37:33 GMT 10
Lessons in moving from City to Country
A few years back I made the move from a capital city to a rural town not all that far away, not far, but far enough. It took a while for the benefits of the move to sink in but some things became apparent right from the outset. It's quieter out here. Very much so. With the exception of Friday night, by 8:30pm, most everyone's lights are off and the streets are deserted of cars. You can hear the traffic out on the highway but there is little of that since I am not on a major feeder into the city. Quiet and peaceful, hardly ever a siren and it's always Ambos in any case. Even during the day the streets are quiet, and peaceful. I am semi-retired so it suits me.
A few years back I made the move from a capital city to a rural town not all that far away, not far, but far enough. It took a while for the benefits of the move to sink in but some things became apparent right from the outset. It's quieter out here. Very much so. With the exception of Friday night, by 8:30pm, most everyone's lights are off and the streets are deserted of cars. You can hear the traffic out on the highway but there is little of that since I am not on a major feeder into the city. Quiet and peaceful, hardly ever a siren and it's always Ambos in any case. Even during the day the streets are quiet, and peaceful. I am semi-retired so it suits me.
Neighbors, they will talk to you, visit if you desire or you can visit them for coffee, just to chat about town and catch up. In the city I hardly knew who my neighbors were and many didn't speak good English in any case. None of that out here, we are ALL born and bred Aussies.
I don't waste a lot of money now. I was ok before but those weekly visits to Dominos, KFC, or bunnings are gone since they aren't out this way. There is a hardware, a big one, and takeaways and a pizza place but I rarely visit them, the food in many cases is better. The pizza worse! Even my Ebay purchases have dropped off and I was a Big Consumer there. It's all just a natural consequence of being here I think.That brings me on to another consequence, I haven't had a speeding fine in years, and certainly no red light ones since there are no traffic lights here. There are no traffic jams either, except outside the school at 3pm, and that's over as soon as you pass the crossing. Being away from the insane city traffic seems to have calmed me down, I just don't speed now, not even when I go to the city once a week as I do. There is really no stress here at all. Police? There are a couple based in town but you never see them except when they do the late arvo patrol and that's good to see. There is little to no crime, certainly no violent crime in any case and no real drug culture as some small towns have. That's important when looking for a town, don't pick an impoverished one, pick one with obvious wealth and no Sh*t box cars parked in the main street and in messy yards all over town.
Covid has been interesting. In the city it was all mask up and check in and do this and do that, but country folk for the most part make their own rules. While the odd shop might get a bit dictatorial, a thrift shop full of volunteers of all things, the other outlets turn a blind eye and masks are really optional though we all wear them in the stores because we don't want to put the owners on the spot. Someone comes in unmasked and says, "Oops, left it in the car" and everyone just smiles and they get served no worries anyway.
Food is a big part of life and here all the beef is local and a lot of the fruit and veg too if you don't buy it at the local supermarket. Supermarket prices are ok too, they were a bit high some years back but everyone banded together and complained to the owners and they dropped them to be more in line with city prices. Having a woolworths and coles only half an hour away in a regional city helped that no doubt. Local Honey is sold here and it's cheap, $10 a kg or less. And lots of jams and homemade biscuits when you know where to go.
The social life is good to, real social life, not just BS movie houses and crafty classes, though they are here, but all manner of clubs and events where people get together and really get know each other. I'm not a big partaker yet, but the options are there if I want them. I'm just happy keeping up with my neighbors and a few guys I meet in town whom I share a common interest with.
I never thought of all these things when I was planning my move out here. I was just thinking, get out of the city period because one day soon it's going to go tits up and in some ways I think it already has. In the city I was just a frog in a pot of hot water and I don't think you can see that until you hop out of the pot and look back.
One of my favorite experiences here is when I'm driving back home from the city. In the city my thoughts were always about security, make sure no one is following you home, some driver you pissed off, and yes I have had that happen! Thinking about a possible break-in, security, security. But here it's entirely different. At a certain point the fields turn into rolling hills -without houses on them- and I really start to loosen up. Then as I come over a particular high one I get a vista of the blue sky, puffy clouds and the mountain ranges in the distance, I know I'm almost home, the feeling is palpable. Even years later the sight still puts a smile on my face, but not when it's overcast, as it was today 
