Not too long ago, my family and I moved from rural Missouri to the suburbs of South Carolina. To say that it was a big change, would be an understatement. From a small town to of approximately 6,000 people to an area with a concentrated populace of 100s of thousands (at least).
To be honest, though I was very excited for the move, I have to admit that I was rather apprehensive as well. After all, we had moved to Missouri for the express purpose of getting away from people. Now, we’re once again in housing that – in many ways – reminds me of the time we spent in military housing. Our neighbors are very close to us and on all sides. Still, it’s single-family living, for which I’m most grateful. I honestly don’t think I could have comfortably gone back to sharing a stairwell with my neighbors, or even a wall for that matter.
Still… We have our own backyard. Not the fenced-in one I had been hoping for during our housing search, mind you, but it’s our own little patch of heaven, and not so huge that the prospect of caring for it is overwhelming as was the case in Missouri. (Even though, that had been the dream. But, that is another post for another time.)
I had wondered, though, whether I would mourn the loss of rural life, miss living as close to nature as we had the past five years in Missouri, miss the peace and quiet that life had brought with it. Quite honestly? I don’t miss it as much as I thought I might. Sure! There’s rarely a moment here when there isn’t some source of noise. For instance, this past weekend was the first that the neighbors were getting out to mow their lawns. The closest occurrence we had to that in Missouri was the sound of tractors in the distance as our neighbors cut the fields a couple of times a year. And we do “have” to listen to the sound of air conditioning units around us cycling on and off, but it really isn’t as bad as one who once had dreamed of rural life, might imagine.
As I said, we have our little plot of heaven upon which I’ve been planting plenty of flowers, and we even have lettuce, tomatoes, and herbs going.
It’s slowly becoming our little “zen garden” in which to unwind in the mornings, evenings, and weekends! That is when the weather decides to cooperate, and as of late, it’s been cooperating more often than not. So, we’ve got that going for us!
Our blonde girl really seems to like it too!
And I’m beginning to realize that we’re not as far removed from nature as I believed we would be. Our community has some wonderful sidewalks along which to walk and there are many ponds scattered throughout. They’re wildlife magnates themselves. The other day I saw turtles and ducks, and even a vulture, who had stopped to get a drink! We get butterflies, hawks, and had a hummingbird visit our flowers the other day.
This doesn’t even take into consideration how close we live to the ocean now! So close that I can smell it in the air throughout the day. After twenty-something years, I finally live in a beach town, again. This makes my So-Cal raised heart happy!
And, as if any of this was not enough, we live in a “civilized” town again.
It’s a joke between my family members and me, but in many ways, it’s true, too. We finally live somewhere where there are a lot of resources we can draw upon. If I have an idea for a craft project, I can easily go somewhere to purchase the necessary supplies. On the same day and with only a fifteen-minute drive, rather than an hour and a half. And, if I feel like having fresh sushi for lunch, I can pop over to King Kong Sushi.
I’m also getting an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals in person. In the past, most of my connections have been limited to the Internet. I fully believe that time and space are an illusion of our physical existence, yes, but sometimes nothing beats a hug! They just feel better in-person!
But, this place seemingly has everything that my heart desires. At least it seems as such, and it just further reinforces to me that, if you follow the promptings of Spirit, all will be well and taken care of. But, that, too, is another post for another time.
Be well, my dear friends!
~D
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