We Moved to the Middle of NOWHERE!

We moved literally to the Middle of Nowhere, Southern Oregon.

We looked and looked for the perfect property to Homestead, but we had a tight budget, and we didn't want a mortgage so we had to compromise. 

Initially we wanted to be close to the coast, after months of looking we realized that if we moved inland 30 minutes or so, it was a different feel, a different story. 

It took some convincing, my husband was set on the Oregon Coast, but after we visited this property, we saw the creek, trees, and "feel" of the neighborhood and I fell in love ( take note, I said I  fell in love  ) 

I will tell you the whole story in another post, but for now believe me it was meant to be. 

This is our wild forest.

In the whole "town that is not a town" ( where we bought the property) , the realtor told us that live a total of  100 families, small families, later to find out that most of them where retired couples that lived "in town" and moved to our neighborhood to live in a more quiet setting. There are no schools, no gas stations, no grocery stores, nothing.

We have to drive about 25 miles to find a town with a population of less than 2000, with one gas station, one grocery store, pharmacy (not drugstore), Hardware store (no Lowe's or Home Depot) and the closest Walmart is about 50 miles away ....from that town... so 75 miles from our tiny neighborhood. 

We went for a walk around the neighborhood and found this....

So I don't have a Walmart or Home Depot or even a gas station for miles and miles , but I traded the commodities of  city  living for the beauty of nature, it is not for everyone ( my mother in law the first time she visited said"you are going to starve in the wilderness"this is in the middle of nowhere!), but I love it, it is quiet, everyone knows where everyone lives, people never avoid eye contact, so they greet you with a smile, or wave while they drive by even if they are in a hurry. 

I love empty roads... what can I say? I'm an introvert 

So yes, we are going to have to plan our trips to the grocery store, the kids will have to take the bus to the town's High School 25 miles away, stock up on necessities like propane, water, and gas but to me with a little of organization, lots of lists and thinking ahead we can make those things possible. 

I'm busy anyways building a Homestead so doing a bit of planning and thinking ahead is all part of the game while I work to provide most of my own food. 

This slug was HUGE !

In the end I want the "Country Life" feeling, and that is exactly how I feel when I'm here in our new homestead. 

My 76 year old neighbor won't leave my long grass alone, so he mows it every time he does his, he climbs ladders to bring us asian pears ( because we love them )  and dry firewood if we have too much of smoke and not much fire to keep us warm. 

I don't want to keep ignoring people because I'm on a rush, I want to be part of a Community, I want to be that smiley face I so desperately expect from everyone I cross paths with. 

But I also want a retreat, somewhere where I can hear my thoughts, smell fresh water, spot a deer or two, and be alone...not all the time... so finding the balance is something I'm already working on. 

What is your favorite part of living in the country? 

Do you want to be left alone? Or do you want to have those meaningful connections in your community? Are you still in the city and dreaming of moving to the country? 

Please share your situation I would love to know more about you!