Well, we’re back from Virginia and I’m already sad. I didn’t want to leave the country, but I was ready to come home to be with all of my own things and schedule, etc. Now I’m dreaming of how we can make a life in the country. Rob and I both want to live a simpler life, one where we’re not both stressed to the max every single day and not enjoying life to the fullest. We both want a more laid back and relaxed lifestyle, something much closer to nature than what we have now. We are seriously investigating the possibility of moving there and building a house on my parents’ property.
Here’s a picture of a group of us standing about 1/4 way up the mountain on my parents’ land:
And here’s the view to the left when standing there. That’s my great grandmother’s house and farm we’re looking down on. She is no longer living and the house is unoccupied.
Here’s a picture of the house where we stayed while we were there. This is on the other side of the road from my parents’ property, up close to the top of the mountain. It’s my great grandmother’s daughter’s and husband’s home. She’s in the picture of all of us standing on the property.
You can see why we’d fall in love with the area, no? I’ve spent some time there in my life – this wasn’t my first trip by any stretch of the imagination – but I never thought I’d end up wanting to live there permanently with my family.
There are still some things I’m unsure about. Like the fact that a Starbucks won’t be a 5 minute drive away. No store will be closer than 10 – 15 minutes, in fact. I’m worried that I’ll feel suffocated in the desolation and will miss all of my friends and other family that I’ll leave behind. 12-step meetings will become a much more precious commodity, too. There’s a lot to think about, for sure. Rob and I have some serious thinking, talking, praying, and soul searching to do.
Pretty area. Life is what you make it. I think you can lead a simple life in the middle of NYC if that’s what you want. My parents moved my sister and I out to the middle of nowhere when we were in elementary school. We had neighbors and a major highway wasn’t far, but it took a 20 minuets to get to the first grocery store and 30 minutes to get to school. My parents promptly moved back to a conventional neighborhood as soon as we graduated college.
You can lead a simpler life in the middle of NYC if you have the means to do so. We both have to work hard in order to survive in this area because it’s so expensive. We want out of the rat race.
I never thought I’d want to live in the mountains of VA a few years ago, but here I am and you’d be hard pressed to make me go elsewhere! I love being surrounded by mountains and being so close to unspoiled nature. The small town thing does get annoying after a while, though. I live in a fairly populated area, and the shopping still leaves much to be desired. We only got a Target 3 or 4 years ago, and we just had our first upscale grocery store open up.
Best of luck making your decision! :)
It looks absolutely beautiful! I’ve lived in both types of places and personally, I enjoy the “out in the country” feel, maybe because I enjoy privacy and being able to be in my backyard without everyone knowing what I’m doing. I guess it just depends on what you feel is important and what you feel you can do without. Just think how much money you can save by not having a Starbucks!
wow, great scenary! i love the outdoors, maybe you can take me with you next time! ; )
Very beautiful area there. Opting for the more simpler life can sometimes be the best. My husband and I chose the simpler life and spending more precious time with our children has been a God send.
And contrary to popular opinion, you can live without a Starbucks.
It is very beautiful there. I can see why it would be tugging at your mind to leave it all behind and live out there.
It reminds me of Port Matilda in PA, up near State College