For those of you who are contemplating leaving the city and moving to a small country town, there are quite a few differences that you and your lifestyle should take into account if your new life is to be a happy one. Small towns don’t change too much no matter what country you live in. I live in Australia.
I’m retired after working with a variety of state and local government departments over the years. I’ve chosen to live in an old stone church on about an acre of land in a small town of about two hundred people in a predominantly wheat growing district. After leaving home for my first job, I’ve chosen never to live in a city – visit, yes; live, no.
Don’t get me wrong, I like living by myself and after all these years I’m used to living in small towns.
But for those of you who decide to take The Big Step, there are a few things that you may need to be aware of that probably didn’t apply to life in the city.
Fitting In
It’s all very well buying a place in the country and planning to put into practice the skills you’ve been acquiring on a small scale.
But becoming a real part of a community can be a bit trickier. You are a new-comer in a town where probably nearly everyone is related to some degree. I knew how to cope with this from my previous working life – be friendly but not familiar. People will try to find out all about you (and I mean all about you). I’ve always preferred being selective about giving out personal information and opinions and I keep my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut.
Eventually you will find a circle of friends with whom you are comfortable and you may choose to be more forthcoming with them. Note that is still your choice about what information you divulge.
I found it useful to work out a few answers in advance. The one I was asked most often was “Why did you choose to live here and not somewhere else?
I could say with all honesty, “I was born in this state, I still have friends only two hours up the road, I have relatives two hours down the road and my son is three hours away so it’s nice and central”.
The only major thing the enquirer learned from that answer is that I have a son.
Those of you with a spouse and children may find it easier to acquire a wider circle of acquaintances more quickly than a single person because you will be meeting people from a wider range of organisations.
I have not spread it about that I’m a prepper although many people know that I grow my own veg (I’m mostly vegetarian and I give away lots), I bottle and preserve my produce (but so do many country people) and I re-use and recycle where possible (being environmentally friendly). They can’t miss the 55,000 litre rainwater tank I’ve had installed and plumbed though (the cost of water is increasing and I’m drought-proofing my garden) and they won’t miss my solar panels next month (the cost of electricity is increasing). They’ve all watched the progress I’m making with building my chook house (most country people keep chickens). All perfectly logical and plausible reasons.
Skills
No matter how well prepared you may think you are I’m sure that you will come across a situation peculiar to your chosen area that will require you to do things differently from what ‘the book’ recommended.
Be prepared to admit that you can’t do something or you know nothing about it and be willing to accept advice from the locals. As you mix and mingle, gradually you will be let in on where the best fishing spots are, who catches game that you can swap something for, who has the skills that you don’t yet have.
I don’t have a chain saw and I admit they frighten me. My neighbours (Bless them!) drop off a load of wood periodically. In return I pass vegetables on to them, help with computer glitches and feed the animals when they are away.
I have enough farming friends so that I can access bulk supplies of wheat and chick peas in a swap situation.
I can’t weld, but I make sure I patronise the local fellow for any jobs I need doing – and pay promptly. I don’t want to get a reputation as a slow payer with city attitudes. No-one in a small town is anonymous.
When it comes to outside work occasionally a job comes up where two hands are just not enough or I just don’t have the physical strength to tackle it.
Thanks to the contacts and friendships I’ve made, I know I can ask someone for help and that help will be given freely. One day I came home with a big round bale of mulching hay in the trailer and found that there was no way on earth that I was going to get it off by myself. Either it became a permanent attachment or I swallowed my pride and asked for a friend’s husband for help. I chose the latter option.
After your move to a small town another thing you may have to cultivate is patience.
Not only do seeds not appear overnight, neither do tradesmen or parts. This is another reason to stock up on anything and everything. After a meltdown when (or if) materiel becomes available again, which town will be supplied first – the big regional centre or my town of 200 people?
This is why you will end up with skills that you didn’t even know you were capable of.
Health
Much has already been written about the importance of keeping healthy. People far more qualified than I, have written excellent articles for your education.
But I’d like, (albeit reluctantly) to take it one step further.
Because I live alone these are some questions I’ve had to think about and for which I’ve had to try to find workable solutions.
My answers will be very different from yours because of your own individual circumstances. And again, I live in a small town not out in the middle of no-where.
How are you going to contact someone in an emergency especially if the phones are down?
Who are you going to contact?
How will a friend/neighbour/relative know that you have died – especially if you live alone?
It’s impossible here to go into all scenarios but remember too that a small town hospital (if you are lucky enough to have one) will not have the latest and greatest equipment but will do the absolute best they can for you before flying you out.
And that opens up another set of preparations:
Who will feed your livestock if you are incapacitated or flown out?
Who will keep an eye on your property and possessions?
Who will contact your next of kin?
It’s a case of the old saying again: Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
Offer to Assist
Throughout my working life in small towns, it was necessary that I knew people and they knew me. I accepted invitations to every meeting for which I received an invitation. That way I got to know who was who, who talked a lot but did little, the local gossip (important so that I didn’t put my foot in the wrong place and embarrass my employer) and who the appropriate person was to speak with about a particular issue.
Now that I don’t have to have such a high profile but still want to be involved with my chosen community the easiest way was to turn up at all community events, meetings and working bees.
After a while I got to know enough to make an informed decision about which organisations I would like to be involved with.
I chose to become involved with the Development Board because of my background and that was where my skills would be most useful. I now get requests for help with spread sheets, forms and grant applications.
There is another answer-in-advance you may wish to work on – how to decline gracefully and diplomatically numerous committee positions for which you will be nominated. I got around that by saying, “Thank you for thinking of me but as a new-comer I don’t feel qualified as yet. I’ll be glad to help where possible but I don’t feel that I should accept a committee position”.
As a newcomer it is “baby steps” all the way and showing a willingness to help where possible.
I’ve always loved small towns and the close ties I am able to make with people and I’m sure you will enjoy the closeness that comes from living and working in a small community.