There are a bundle of things that are different now that we are out of the city and living rural, but some are more obvious than others. Some also make a greater impact, and affect us more drastically. Here is a sampling:
Dead of Night?
Driving home from a 4-h banquet the kids asked “what time is it” as we slowly cruised the dark and empty streets. It was 9pm and the roads were as deserted as they would be at 2 o’clock in the morning in the city. With very few street lights and having majority of our stores and shops and restaurants close early, anything after 9pm might as well be the middle of the night.
Personally, I find this fabulous, but if you are a night owl and need constant entertainment, this life may not be for you. Of course, with a rooster on the property, morning comes much earlier than in the city as well, so there is balance!
Shopping List are Smaller
There are no big box stores on Salt Spring, so shopping lists are kept pretty small and specific. For things we can’t get here we make a plan and purchase off island. The great part? We don’t “hit the mall” when we are bored, and there is very little chance to add unnecessary “extra” purchases to our cart when we are getting groceries. Purchases are planned, and rarely spontaneous.
Getting Dirty
I know more about a septic system than I ever wanted to know. Ditto with chicken injuries and disease, and well and water management. Majority of our NEEDS are managed by US, and not delivered via the city. That means exploring that funny smell, or doing minor surgery on a chicken, when needed. Best part about this? We are more in touch with what we DO use. We don’t waste water, or flush anything that can’t be handled by our septic system. We harvest wood for our fires, and keep our land and flock healthy as it provides our food. We are more AWARE of our affect on our environment, and not in a hippy wild way, but in a normal human way. In a way we all should be.
Freedom & Privacy
One of the first things we loved about living rural was not having to greet our neighbours when we took out the garbage. As introverts and private people we wanted the choice to interact with people around us. We were tired of them being thrust on us every time we looked out our windows. Now, we look outside and see hens ranging, trees swaying and the sun glinting off the ocean. We only have human interaction when we CHOOSE to, and for us, that is PERFECT.
I think society is too slammed together and we are loosing the privilege of privacy. We are becoming dependant on external forces and less capable of taking care of ourselves. Now, I am not suggesting everyone go off the grid and start living on squirrels, but perhaps we can start to stretch our wings a little and start creating micro homesteads where we work for ourselves and provide something back to our families and communities, instead of consuming, consuming, consuming.
Living on Salt Spring, and in a rural environment has been our best decision by far. Not a single regret or concern. Our children are happier, our lives are being lived more fully, and despite the extra work we are doing around land, we sleep better than we ever have before! Must be those earlier mornings, and early nights.