Could you really do it?

[Crackpot]

Many people Dream of living in a secluded or semi-secluded place out of the way of civilization.

Sounds nice just talking about it doesn't it?

When it comes down to it could you?

I often wonder if I could.

I live within a few miles of many restaurants tons of shopping multiple movie theaters. Access to HIgh speed internet, cable and cellphone.

Could you give those things up?

Could you really live where "running to the corner store" took an hour?

[No Greater Fool]

Having had a house (intended for my retirement) that was semi-rural, my answer is an emphatic NO! A half hour round trip to the hardware store was entirely too much.

[kristina]

Not a chance. I lived 27 years in San Francisco, where I could walk to the grocery store, the produce market, the library, and countless restaurants and bars. I moved four years ago to a small town where it's pretty much the same, with the addition of being able to walk to the movies and a farmer's market!

I grew up in the suburbs in New England, and it was nice not to be able to hear the neighbor's phone conversations, but I'll trade her loud voice for all the other good stuff any day.

[Guinevere]

Nope, that's not my dream. I grew up in the country, I've lived in rural Vermont, coastal Maine, and rural NY State. As much as I love those places, and think they are fabulous places to visit, I have chosen *not* to live there, but to live in an urban area.

A remote get-away is fine (my next real estate purchase will be in Vermont). Rural/remote living 24/7 -- not thanks.

[Miles]

Where I live currently the housed are too close together, the yard is too small and as of Oct. the house will be too big. Starting Oct first my wife and I are going to start looking for a smaller place where the houses are not so close but I still want to stay in this area.

[Beer Sponge]

No way would I give up civilization. I love it here! I'm not sure I could even move out of the city and back to a small town at this point.

[Rick]

Live?

No

Having a place as a getaway from it all?

I would love it...

[The Hen]

I could.

I dream of being far away from it all.

It wouldn't bother me if it took 30 minutes to get into a town to get supplies. I used to live a 20 minute drive from a major highway before. It was then another 15 minutes into town. I absolutely loved it. I don't do dining out or movies. I do do isolation.

[Rick]

I already live 30 minutes from anythang North Or South of me.

East or West, hours.

I don't consider that "away from it all"...

[The Hen]

Nah. Far away is when you have to travel for half a day to see your neighbour and borrow a cup of sugar.

You really want to be sure you catch them at home though.

[Gob]

I'd love to do it. It's one of our dreams.

The only thing is that when we get to do it we will have to take into account our age, our driving ability, and our needs.

I could do it tomorrow if the opportunity presented itself.

Hopefully within the next 6-7 years we will be making concrete plans to go for it.

If we can do it for ten years before circumstance forces us back into "civilisation", then we'll be happy.

But first we want a few years living in England, then a few years doing the "grey nomad" thing for a year around Aus.

[Sean]

I moved to Springbrook last September. There is a small corner shop 10 mins drive away but the nearest civilisation is 30 mins down mountain roads.
I am a city boy. The only other time I lived in a rural area was as a kid in Ireland and I hated it!

I have surprised myself to be honest. I didn't think I'd settle as well as I have and am now enjoying the peace. Mind you, I haven't had the days without electricity (the worst so far has been about six hours) or water tank run dry yet.

I started out thinking our neighbours were 'odd' (read: freaks). Now I know that we are the ones who are odd as we are the ones who are different. My mullet is coming along nicely and once I get my faded Acca Dacca t-shirt I'll start bashing out my teeth and get my neck tattooed.

[@meric@nwom@n]

Yep. I have lived way out, where it was at least 30 minutes to town. It was a long time ago and I have lived in town for ages. But in fact a drugstore near us was robbed for drugs this a.m. and I started grousing to the husband about moving out to the boonies again.

[Gob]

I moved to Springbrook last September. There is a small corner shop 10 mins drive away but the nearest civilisation is 30 mins down mountain roads.
I am a city boy. The only other time I lived in a rural area was as a kid in Ireland and I hated it!

I have surprised myself to be honest. I didn't think I'd settle as well as I have and am now enjoying the peace. Mind you, I haven't had the days without electricity (the worst so far has been about six hours) or water tank run dry yet.

I started out thinking our neighbours were 'odd' (read: freaks). Now I know that we are the ones who are odd as we are the ones who are different. My mullet is coming along nicely and once I get my faded Acca Dacca t-shirt I'll start bashing out my teeth and get my neck tattooed.

Ok, so do we get an invite? Sounds like our sort of place!

[Sean]

You've already had an invite you soft bugger! Just let me know when you're coming!

[Gob]

But you still haven't told us how far away the pub is, not committing until you do!

[Sean]

There is a place that advertises itself as an English Tavern about 15 mins walk (25 mins stagger) away but it seems to be permanently booked out by conference/team building types.

Worth a camp out on the doorstep though...

[Sue U]

I couldn't do it. Even though I now live only 10 minues from downtown Philadelphia, my fondest dream is to move back into the city proper as soon as the kids are through school. I find an urban lifestyle to be much more liberating, for me.

[Andrew D]

My beloved and I hope someday to move out to somewhere truly rural. Ideally, we will be at least a quarter mile from the nearest source of noise.

I grew up in a densely populated urban area (San Francisco). Much of it, I loved. The weather sucked -- I lived west of Twin Peaks until I moved to the Excelsior -- but the vibrance of urban life was invigorating.

I was young.

Now that I am old and decrepit, I find rural life more and more alluring. Were I on my own, which I have no wish to be, I could quite happily live in a shack in the desert.

But one thing I never want to do again is to live in a small town. Small towns suck.

[Gob]

Small town or village life can be heaven, but can be hell...

I've just had some work done on my cottage in the UK, the decorator sent me photos, god I miss living in the rural isolation out there.