“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”
– Laura Ingalls Wilder
“The simple life” often goes hand in hand with “the country life” but for those who live in the country know that nothing could be further from the truth.
When dreaming of the life I was going to have, I pictured an old weatherboard house (tick), chickens (tick), and a bit of land (tick). What I did not expect, or at least did not prepare for was our dog getting bitten by a snake, consistently chasing runaway cows, or quolls attacking and killing the chickens. These are just some of the realities of living in the country.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a fairly practical person who grew up with a reasonably sound knowledge of life in the country, as did my Husband. And we were always prepared to put in the hard work when it came to living here because we believe this will be our forever home. But the constant anxiety of a potential bushfire or threat of a snake turning up at the back door, as well as ensuring that there is enough feed for the cows and that the chickens are locked away every night can be tiring. Although it certainly looks and is an idyllic lifestyle, it is not for everyone.
I love living where I do and I wouldn’t change it for the world, but that is because I was prepared to take on responsibility and make adjustments to my life to meet those needs. We have suffered heartbreak at the loss of animals, stress during bushfire and snake season, and a lot of weekends working as opposed to socialising. What I have learnt in return is hard work, resilience and persistence, as well as a number of other practical life skills.
My life may not be more simple, but it certainly is more complete and more real. And if that is my trade off from living in the country then I am simply happy with that.
Crabtree Heights 