I have lived in what I would call a rural setting for almost a year now. Previously in my life, I have made fun of country people. I couldn't imagine living such a "simple" life, and I've always loved the feeling of being in a big city. Now instead of looking up in the midst of tall buildings, I look up at tall trees, and I love that just as much.
I remember how forlorn I was when I first realized how far my new home was from literally everything. It was two hours to both my college and my old house, and a whopping six hours to one of my close friends in Tennessee. Before we perfected the wifi, I often had little or no service, and I felt both physically and technologically cut off from the rest of the world. (Not to mention, I moved during the winter, and let's be honest that's just a sad season.) Since I had no choice but to live there, I eventually allowed myself to look on the bright side, and today I absolutely love living in the country.
First of all, I am legitimately getting the best of both worlds out of my living situation right now. During the week, I'm at Kennesaw State University, within driving distance of any store and restaurant you can imagine and only half an hour or less from the Krispy Kreme on Ponce. (Distance to the best Krispy Kreme is an important factor when choosing a place to live. Trust me on this, I have been alive for almost two decades and I am a professional donut lover.) Then on the weekends I can get away from all the traffic and the mean Cobb County drivers by escaping to the country, (where I then become the mean Cobb County driver.) I love the scenery as I'm driving gradually out of civilization. Apartment complexes become pecan orchards, fast food restaurants become widely spaced out houses, and the people become cows.
Since moving to our little farm, I have had so much more opportunity to be close to nature in ways I have never been before. Just last week, I was out much earlier than usual and I saw two deer silently grazing in a field behind our property. I immediately froze as the doe looked right at me. The morning was golden as filtered sunlight was streaming through the gaps in the leaves and I could see her breath swirling in the air. After a couple minutes, both deer suddenly ran off, and as I stood looking after them a coyote casually strutted along the same path. (In an attempt to distract him from the deer, I yelled and clapped my hands, but he didn't even glance at me.) I stood in complete shock for a little bit, feeling as if I had stumbled into a nature documentary.
I remember the first time I experienced the wonder of picking food out of our garden and then cooking it for dinner. First of all, I felt some kind of super healthy pioneer because it was kale, and also I knew then that we would be pretty well-off in the event of a collapse of the central government. Seriously, it was amazing to think that this food had grown in our own yard, and I got a little closer to understanding why people prefer organic food.
In the country, the sky is always blue, and the kids always eat their vegetables. Oh no, wait, that's Hidden Valley...but the point still stands. Of course it's not for everyone, but by and large the country can offer a quiet escape from the frustration of fast-paced cities. In my experience, it forced me to relearn my place in the world, as a very small human widely ignored by the vast spirit of nature, and also helped me appreciate the conveniences of the city which I had previously taken for granted. Maybe living in the country isn't your thing, but just a weekend can change your perspective. Trust me.
