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A reflection and lessons learned in our first month in our new home.
“Could you get any further from civilization?” That’s what the guy who came to deliver our wall oven said when he walked into our home a few weeks ago. We have gotten a lot of comments along the way, both positive and, I’ll just say rather questioning…it’s ok because we are loving our new home and being in the country.
There are pros and cons about moving into a home in late November, mainly the weather….which is both a pro and a con! It has been way too cold for us to want to be outside for any length of time, so at this moment we are 90% settled…at least in the living and sleeping areas of our home. Our basement and garage still need some organizing and weeding out, but at the rate mother nature is going with her frigid temps, we’ll have many weekends to tackle those areas.
For those that are contemplating a move to rural life, or for those that are just following along, I’ve compiled some lessons learned over the past month. Some of these were obvious, but like so many things, until you’re experiencing it, you don’t know how important they are!
1. Make a list and check it twice!
We are about 30 minutes away from a grocery store but are able to buy bread, eggs and a few other necessities at a local gas station/convenience store. For this reason, we keep a running list of things needed on the side of the refrigerator. Our list contains grocery items, toiletries and other small things we need around the house. This has been an easy way to keep track of what we need to pick up when we run to the big city! There’s no such thing as “running to the store” to pick up something for dinner!
2. Buy in bulk.
From canned goods to toilet paper to dishwashing detergent (just to name a few things), we are really starting to stock up (again, no such thing as a quick run to the store). Our pantry is starting to fill up from the few times we’ve loaded up and we are now looking for a freezer. Our goal is to be able to go a month without shopping…we’ll see!
3. Get used to the quiet…
I seriously didn’t think this was going to be a problem…and it’s not necessarily a problem but I’m finally getting accustomed to silence. I was getting so annoyed with horns beeping, the upstair neighbors running down the stairs and slamming the front door and loud talkers right outside our apartment window! I was really looking forward to quiet. But it turns out that silence is something you may need to get used to. I find myself thinking…a lot!
4. …But you will hear some strange noises as well!
I’m still not sure what kind of animal or animals we’re making the sounds I heard a few weeks ago in the early morning. If I were to guess it was a combination of turkeys and a coyote. Poor turkeys. That along with the howling of the wind on a few occasions, some creaks in the night and of course our kitties scampering about in the wee hours of the morning (you seriously hear EVERYTHING at night) has made for a few unsettled nights…but it’s getting better.
5. The moon at night is big and bright.
The first few nights in our new home I couldn’t believe how dark it was when the sun went down. We’ve gone out on our front porch and just looked up on a few occasions. The sea of stars was vast and overwhelming. It’s amazing how many more stars you see when there are no street lights, lamp posts or headlights drowning out the beauty of the sky. As dark as night was over the first week here, December welcomed a Supermoon! Slowly nights started to brighten up as the moon became fuller and fuller. There were at least three nights when I woke up and swore we left the outside lights on.
6. Get to know some locals!
Small towns and rural areas can be full of history. According to one person we bumped into two in the spring while we were still building, Christopher Walken’s brother owns several acres of land right near us. I also found out that the local wine store owner, John, sells fresh eggs. He was one of the first locals I met after moving in… and yes I bought both a bottle of chardonnay AND fresh eggs from him. 🙂
7. Prepare for dirt!
We have boot brushes (like these) at each entrance along with several throw rugs and runners throughout our living space. We also trade our shoes for slippers as soon as we walk in when practical, but nothing could have prepared me for how much sand, gravel and dirt would enter into our home on a daily basis. Elvis may be partially to blame! But we did have our son spread over 100 pounds of winter rye grass seed before the first snowfall so we’re hoping in the spring we’ll have a little more of a barrier in the spring.
8. There is still as sense of community.
Even though we don’t see our neighbors everyday, we still enjoy a neighborhood feeling. We were invited to a holiday party hosted by a couple that lives up the mountain on December 17 and had a great time. It was a great to meet some of the other neighbors and talk about the coyotes, lack of internet and how to raise chickens! We exchanged numbers with a few people and have been in touch on a couple of occasions since, particularly about our local garbage collector not showing up for 3 weeks straight because of the weather. 🙂 (a whole other lesson!)
Well, there you have it…these are obviously not the only lessons to be learned or shared, but a good list to get us started. I know we’ll be learning along the way, especially as seasons sink in and then eventually change. So many stories to unfold for your reading pleasure.
I’m resolving to take more photos in the new year and post more….from DIY projects, to more lessons, to so much more.
Peace and Love in the New Year – Cheers!
The Cohns
