Moving to the country: what nobody tells you!

About ten weeks ago I changed from citygirl to countrygirl.

Here are some of my thoughts and discoveries about country life!

1. There are no playgrounds in the country. When we lived in the suburbs, at the corner of our street there was a little playground. And whenever the kids got bored I just said: 'Why don't you go to the playground!' That playground turned out to be a great meeting place for the kids in the neighbourhood. In the country, everybody has their own trampoline and swing set, and there's no public area for kids to meet. And I have to admit: I miss that playground.
2. It's only five miles into the nearest town, which is fine with me, because I can just jump into my car. But for my kids the nearest town might as well be the moon. They miss being able to ride their bikes into town for icecream or something.
3. I love the light in the country: it's breathtakingly beautiful! Who would have thought 'light' could be so delightful (pun intended).
4. I'm much more aware of the seasons now. If only because I have fallen into mud, got stuck in a dirt track, and got soaked to the skin during a particularly rainy morning. I felt it in my toes: this is Winter!
5. There's lots more space in the country. Whenever I walk out the front door, I feel wide open space all around me.
6. Living in the country is a state of mind. Knowing there's nothing to do, or get, or buy, makes me feel calm. I can almost read a book again!
7. Living in the country helps develop your interest in nature. I've become a bird watcher! Besides, what else is there to do here...
8. The kids spend more time behind a screen, I'm sad to say. Because there's no playground, and they haven't found children to play with yet, they play more on their WII and Nintendo. I'm hoping Winter is to blame, and it will get better during Summer.
9. We finally have enough room in our garden for a trampoline!
10. We've been invited to a farm fest at the neighbours. I wouldn't have experienced such a thing in the city.
11. The kids have to ride their bikes about 6 miles to school, which sucks. So they tell me.
12. The kids have to ride their bikes about 6 miles to school: at least they get enough exercise!
13. We want to become more self sufficient, and the country offers lots of opportunities to do that. We can grow our own vegetables, if they don't die first.
14. We're spending way more money on gas! It can't be helped: the distances are much bigger and can't all be walked or biked.
15. Because there's no store nearby, our household expenses have gone down. I can't just walk down to the local supermarket to get forgotten groceries, and then be seduced by other 'stuff'.
16. I like taking the kids to school along country roads. It makes me feel like I live in the Little House on the Prairie.
17. Our doorbell doesn't ring half as much as it did in the city. It's bliss for my frayed nerves.
18. On the first day of Spring I discovered: there's always some place the sun shines in our garden!