re: Qualms of a late 20's redneck city slicker

quote:

---

I do have a great SO who I'd like to pursue a future with. That future would basically put me in the same spot I am in now. Suburbs, commute, decent money, Trying to make the most of 3 weeks vacation while wishing I could be working outside in the fields or mountains.

---

Run jimjackjose, run

I'm about to finish school and have a great opportunity as a single man to basically move wherever I want. The problem is that I don't think I can leave behind the Gulf of Mexico. Nice camp, nice boats, best fishing and seafood in the world. I'm not sure what I'll do come next summer.

quote:

---

20 minute drive to get fast food if I was to lazy to cook or even to get to a legit grocery store. I can't live like that

---

Even though you're exaggerating with the "I can't live like that" comment, I know it can be inconvenient to have to drive miles to a dinky store for food, etc. I did it for years when I was younger. Now, I realize that a well-stocked pantry and fridge, with some organized grocery shopping, can easily make up for that inconvenience. And running out of ketchup does not require a mandatory trip to the store anyway. As far as fast food goes, I usually regret eating that crap about halfway through each meal of it.

Probably the worst part of small town life for me was the clannishness of the longtime locals and the lack of privacy, since everybody knew everybody's business. But compared to the traffic jams and checkout lines of strangers in the city, it's a small problem to deal with.

quote:

---

Im at a crossroads in my life, and im not sure which way i want my future to go. Born and raised in a small town (pop, 2500), but have lived and coexisted in several subcultures and have been in the "city" for the last seven years. I have a really good job, making great money for someone under 30 with only partial college education. At this point, im 50/50. Part of me wants to stay in the city, strive to reach the financial goals i set for myself, become more culturally aware, more politically aware, more travelled than i already am. But then there is that nagging other half that wants to minimalize my exposure to this society and its deprivation. To move to the country, live a more simple life; not detatch from society and become a hermit, just build a nice house on a winding road in NELA and spend my remaining years learning the land like my elders did. Either way, i plan to finish my degree, most likely in ag business or agronomy. I know there are posters of various ages and locations and cultures, but im sure most will say they would choose the life of country living. Have any of you or are any of you dealing with these internal struggles?

---

Geez. We have the same problem. Grew up in small town AL, and left the day after graduating HS. Hated that place. Got my degree, moved around from Atlanta to Birmingham, and as I passed 30, all I can think about is moving to the woods. I spent a lot of time with my great-grand parents, who grew their own food, raised their own chickens, etc, and remember thinking how slow life was. Boring at the time. Now, all I want to do is get back to that place. My major problem is my wife and kids. My children need to be in a great school, so I am stuck for now. My wife will have to deal when the time comes to move back. I am 100% sure I will die early if I have to stay in this rat race. In the mean time, I have made my 0.5 acre lot in the city a "forest garden." Veggie garden, fruit trees/bushes, nut trees. It helps tickle that itch.

quote:

---

Farmersonly.com is my next option.

---

From my experience, albiet very little, youre more likely to find a 50 year old rancher looking for his palameno stallion to rope and ride. Probably that farm girls daddy

No offense to our origins, but it is tough to go to college, grad school, live in a major city around well-educated folks, and then move back to small town life, at least for me. I need some intellectual stimulation, and while I don't question there are smart people in the rural south, the emphasis isn't the same. The same part of me that doesn't like the PC/reality tv/hipster culture of urban life can't relate to the black and white, no support for opinions needed small town culture, either. Nonetheless, I more often than not share those opinions.

I'm no redneck. I can get by in that life, but it's foreign to me just like being a urban professional isn't really in my blood. But I do want simplicity, space, and people with perspective and loyalty.

To some extent, I think you can find both elsewhere, but there isn't a ton of it in GA/AL/LA that I've found. I don't need a ton of that, but I need some of it.

Yeah I agree. The conveniences of city life are worth it, especially in a place like LA where you can travel and hour or 2 in each direction and be in some world class outdoors. Work in the city and party in the country.

quote:

---

Yeah I agree. The conveniences of city life are worth it, especially in a place like LA where you can travel and hour or 2 in each direction and be in some world class outdoors. Work in the city and party in the country.

---

Agree, probably what I need to do for now. The idea of relocating to a city with even more outdoor opportunities is appealing, but I'm not sure I'm ready to do that.

Plus, to be totally honest, I think a lot of us really like that we're fishing/hunting/ranching/whatever on the weekends and back in a high rise office during the week. I like that I'm not focused only on trying out that new vegan place up the street like my colleagues.

Although I want to eventually do it, some of the allure will be lost when it is your whole life and everyone around you does the same things as you do. But I think I'll be more appreciative of a repetitive, simplistic lifestyle as I get older.

quote:

---

The thought of having a self-sufficient homesite excites me. I'm not talking about living in an area of redneck retards Don't want that. I want a place with no one around. There's plenty of work to keep one busy. It would actually be more work than at the office.

---

yes...this

I read too much Mother Earth News