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One day I want to escape

Deleted User

I want to believe there are still places in the world that haven't been ruined or filled with teeming housing projects, urban blight and endless stretches of tarmac and grey.  I hope to be able to go live in one of these places in the future and find some sort of peace.  Either as part of a small community or with significant others who feel as I do.  As such I developed an interest in sustainability and self sufficiency.  Though it sounds naive, I like urban life a little less each time I'm exposed to it.

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  • The biggest problem with heading for the hills, is every crazy has had the same idea before you!

    Seriously though, there are places where you can live a more rural and self sustaining life, but there are some massive downsides too and they're not to be underestimated, winter being the biggest. We might not get the sort of snow and cold that we did, but being snowed in for 3 weeks as I was only a few years ago can give you serious cabin fever. Everytime snow was forecast, I'd go and stock up even if I'd only been shopping a couple of days before. Other things ou need to think about are how you get your power, in rural areas a lot of electric cables are above ground and that makes you vulnerable to power cuts that may last several days. You may have poor internet and mobile reception or none at all, there are places here where your phone goes ping and you get told "Welcome to Ireland", people in cities who you have to interact with may not understand that things like mountains and dense woodlands or both can block signals, so can what your house is made of. You will need a good 4x4 to cope with getting around, driving is essential for getting to things like shops and doctors. You need to be physically and mentally strong, theres a lot of work in just keeping up with the upkeep of a rural property, making sure fences are sheep proof and maybe deer proof too, or you'll wake up and find all your lovely new crops have been eaten, the bark stripped from any new tree's and stuff like that. Your water source may freeze too. Takeaways become a distant memory, something other peope do and you may find that the sorts of foods you're used to in towns won't be available.

    But, it's wonderful, nights are really really dark and you can see so many stars, in winter, when its frosty the sky rings with silence like the afternote of a bell. The air is fresh and clean, lots of things like sinus problems disapear, the bird song is loud and lovely and the views can be spectacular. 

    There are places where you can get away from towns, there are places here in Wales, in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland too and probably Ireland.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    That was a very interesting analysis CW.

    TheCatWoman said:
    in winter, when its frosty the sky rings with silence like the afternote of a bell.

    Very poetic.

    Sparkling heart

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  • in reply to Deleted User

    I've just seen to many people come to grief when the reality of country life comes home, it's great in the summer, but winter can be a very different story and one that can lead to a lot of unhappiness. When live intimately with the landscape it reflects back at you and if whats going on inside your head is uncomfortable then thats what will be reflected and magnified back at you and theres none of the usual escape routes like cinema or driving to the countryside for a walk!