Jen and I have now lived in the same location longer than either of us has in our entire lives. I spent 6 years in Lincoln, Nebraska, 6 in Sacramento (in three houses), 4 in Indiana (in 2 houses), 2 on a LDS mission (in 6 houses), and 14 in Utah (in 9 houses or apartments). Of those 14 years in Utah, nearly 7 have been in the current house we’re in now.
Both Jen and I feel a bit odd having stuck around in one location for so long. Having said that, we’ve loved it. Our church ward has been fantastic and we’ve really built some good friendships with different families in the neighborhood. Our house has been great for us, too. It’s been a good size for us, it was very cheap, the backyard is great and has vehicle access, and it’s only 10 miles from work. We couldn’t have asked for a better location to have spent the last 7 years of our lives.
Jen and I basically have the means to move elsewhere, but we constantly struggle with the decision to make that plunge. We’d love a house that fits us slightly better and with a different layout. We’d love a newer house. We’d love to live in a place where we don’t have 8 neighbors within earshot of me brushing my teeth. However, we’d also love to stay where we are, figure out how to make do with the space constraints, and use our extra money to 1) continue to make improvements, 2) make it a habit to travel to fun and exotic places, and 3) have sufficient money to dedicate some time to church service after retirement.
However, it’s not just the house that makes us me think. Of the 33 years I’ve been alive, I’ve either lived in a town with <1,500 people or in the country for 12 of those years. Those years had a great impact on me and I loved certain things about living in the middle of nowhere. I loved the freedom to run around outside, to play on the farms, the quiet of the nights, the bad snowstorms that trapped us in our house for a few days until power was restored, etc. I worked on farms and grew to really love that kind of life.
I don't need it this flat, or even this remote, but I liked this landscape when I lived there.
I don’t have that life now and recently I’ve been yearning for it (dang you, Andrew!). The problem is that I can’t really get that life now without a drastic change. I work in a profession that is generally based in major metropolitan areas (remote sensing a.k.a. satellite imagery analysis) and it scares me that I’ll be “stuck” in suburbia for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, the housing market is making it hard for us to make any decisions besides staying put. While we’re nowhere near “upside down” on our house, we don’t get nearly the return on our investment now that we could have gotten a few years ago, making it a tough financial decision to justify leaving.
In interest of full disclosure, Jen would be happy in the third-to-half-acre suburbia. She loves having a Target nearby. I would be happy with a 10-acre-rural set up. I have a hunch neither of us will get our utopia any time soon and we will stick around. If you were hoping I was writing about an impending move, you’ll have to wait.
Hey Jess, if you ever get an “itch” , I would donate a few acres to the cause!!!!!
I completely understand your sentiments. One reason we don’t leave Elk Ridge is because it has a “smaller” and safer feel than downtown somewhere else. We live above the inversion and it’s healthier. It’s quiet and I can actually hear birds in our neighborhood when they are around. It is inconvenient, of course, but at least I don’t have to travel 25 miles to the nearest store, doctor or entertainment area any more.
(I think I would love to live in a location like Mackay, Idaho, though.)
I adjusted to the remote areas and learned to love them – but being a little closer to stores is helpful.
Michelle and I have been talking about this for years. Houses outside of town are significantly cheaper and outside of Johnson county even cheaper still (lower taxes – we pay over $4000 a year for our place). In the next 10 years we will be empty nesters and won’t have a need of a house as big as we currently have. Like you, some of the best memories of my life were formed on the farm. One of these days, we will take the plunge but for now, it is nice to be able to ride my bike to work (there is a 2 year waiting list for a parking permit that costs hundred’s of dollars a year) and to be at Walmart or Target in 5 minutes.
You know Jess, there’s a white house across the street and over one that is in pre-foreclosure. It will need work, but it’s got LAND….and close to family! There’s even a good sized barn…
I think it’s calling your name…
I, for one, like having a large yard, but find I’m more of a city girl. I love the bustle of different people and cultures, so sometimes I find myself startled at the fact we have 1.3 acres, a barn, and a horse. How did this happen?? Feel free to come farm our land anytime. The barn and workshop are open anytime too. In fact, our garden is way too big for us alone, so if you want to farm your own garden here, take half of it!
It’s that Teichert blood full of manure that is running in your veins. (Steve’s line) I never thought I would end up in a place as remote as we have, but after adjustment I love it. Moving anywhere more urban, even into mackay, would be a shock to my system. Someday I hope one or the other of you will get what you want. Until then, we plan on seeing you sometime in April for a good old fashioned branding. That’ll give you your rural fix for a while.
I don’t know Natalie, but I like the sound of her place. (I’m not so sure I like the sound of a “good old fashioned branding,” but, hey, Jess, whatever suits you, who am I to judge?) Anyway, even at Rural Ways, we’re not that rural. We, in fact, share some of your ambition. We are saving money, even now, for a 10 acre set-up like the one you want. Or, something more, if we can get it. But, in the meantime, I try to make it a habit to go out on the plateau, almost every day, just to feel the stillness. Maybe you can too.