Living in the Country

A couple of months ago, we moved. It’s only 30 minutes away from where we were, but with 5 acres instead of 1, 5 bedrooms instead of 3 and more trees than grass, it is different living. And I am here for it! I was raised in the city and I’ve had many a friend moan about the ills of the outdoors, but I am convinced this country living is the only way for me to live. You could argue that we lived out in the country before, but it was in a neighborhood, right off the highway, and significantly fewer trees. After 8 1/2 years in the old house, we never felt the freedom to explore or be ourselves. An HOA and neighbors in a very different stage of life can do that to you. We never encountered scorpions, copperheads or poison ivy either, but we’re learning what we need to to be successful here.

The reasons we do certain things aren’t always clear, even to ourselves sometimes. The choices we make in life might be heavily influenced by people and ideas beyond our awareness. Just being an American vs any other nationality changes the way I approach life. My brain was always filtering certain things out before I even had a chance to consider them because it deemed them off limits. Sure, that can be a safe guard when all the illegal or dangerous solutions to a problem aren’t even considered. But what jobs to take, places to live, hobbies to pursue, relationships to maintain are all things that should be yours to choose. Along with expecting others to fill my needs, the last year or so has taught me how little I allowed myself to explore what I wanted or needed to be well. My brain filtered out a lot of things because of other people’s opinions, circumstances or needs that in most cases were not my business or responsibility. When I finally started thinking about what was healthy for me - and for my husband and kids - it was a very different life than I had been living. I have longed to live in the trees since before I was married. Nature has been something I’ve been drawn to for as long as I can remember. My kids are always more themselves after time spend outside. Many have asked why the moved, why now, why here? There have been many factors leading up to this decision, but to put it simply, we are trying to be well.

This. We need this.

We are certainly out of any baby stage and instead we’re at the beginning of our teenage era! That brings entirely different needs and issues to the table. They say teenagers need their parents even more in adolescence and I believe my teenage boy (and my other two kids) need to spend time outside working with their hands more than ever, as well. When I might mention that we needed this move, I mean it in all the ways. Did you know that listening to birds - their chirping symphony in the morning especially - is good for your physical health? I’m sure you’ve been told that the more trees around you, the cleaner your air tends to be. Spending time outside and specifically morning sun means higher vitamin D levels which results in better immune function. I know I’m different than most people, but I think about the health of my grandchildren! The choices my kids make over the next 10 years will directly impact my (Lord willing) grandchildren’s viability and wellness. There are so many factors in our world that we cannot control, that might result in pain, disease or heartbreak. But if there were things that we know could improve those odds, why wouldn’t we invest in that? I’m finally getting to know myself enough to know that I absolutely would. Once I realized that, this move was a no brainer.

Sitting on the back porch is everyone’s favorite spot, including the dog.

It’s quieter here in the people and cars department, but louder in the birds, frogs and bugs. Have you tried the Merlin bird app to see what’s visiting your trees? We love it! I’ve never lived in a place where fireflies show up every night now that it is summer! Have your kids ever tried (and probably failed) to grow a frog out of a tad pole? We’ve only been here a 6 weeks and we have tried and failed multiple times! :)
It’s safer for the soul, but requires more caution and guard with critters. We’ve also learned that the best way to kill a scorpion is to pierce it and that my daughter WILL scream louder than she’s ever screamed before when she finds it in her room. Our dog Scout is a wonderful watch dog, especially in the snake department. She was ready to take on the copperhead she came across and alerted us heartily, but Mr. Butler eliminated it for us. Did you know that copperheads don’t want to have anything to do with people and that if they bite you, you’re likely to get only a fraction of their venom? Still nothing to mess around with, but we quickly learned a whole lot to soothe everyone’s concerns. There’s nothing more boosting to the confidence and self-esteem than doing hard things because you have to. Despite nature’s bad guys getting in our business, there is much less stress found here. I’m convinced the trees are magic and just suck up all the stress. That’s what it feels like anyway.

That time when we saw the Northern Lights in Oklahoma!

Lots of trees or the outdoors may not be something you ever choose, by ability or desire. I’m rarely found on the side of majority anyway. Still, I’m pretty sure I’ll shout it from the rooftops until I can’t anymore that your body was made to go outside more than our modern life would suggest. Instead of an evening on the couch, head for the park for a walk. That vacation you’re about to spend loads of money on, add in a free local hike just for good measure. Got a kid struggling in all the things? Take them outside to explore and create!. Our mental health just might depend on it!