Country Life - Pros and Cons

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Breakfast Diva

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I'm wondering if others out there have the same experience.
First, let me say that I love living in a rural area. I love the peace and quiet. I love looking out my windows and not seeing another house or structure. I love that we have been successful at a business where we can share our area with our guests who also love our surroundings. I love that if you're in need of help, there's a rural neighbor who will be there for you.
If you're an aspiring innkeeper, there are some major challenges when you set up your B&B in a rural area you should be aware of:
It takes forever for anything to get done. Businesses don't return your phone calls or follow up. Simple tasks take 2-3 times longer than needed because folks around here just don't seem too interested. Don't even try to get anything done during hunting or fishing season! Oh, you need a new roof or something needs to be repaired? Sure hope it's not leaking or totally broken, because it's going to take forever to get anyone out to even give you a bid.
Now that we have a thriving business, it would be nice to be able to hire some staff. Our state has the 2nd highest unemployment in the nation. 1 1/2 months ago I went to the temp agency in the nearest bigger town to find some help for the summer. I called them again yesterday and they haven't been able to find anybody. They thought they had 1 woman, but it turned out she didn't meet the standards I set. Here are the standards I gave them...drug test and background check! Yup, pretty tough standards around here!
Don't even get me started on health care in rural communities. There is not even one HMO in our section of the state because there is not a big enough population to support it. Every test you have at a community hospital costs 2-3 times as much as going into the big city (2 hours away). I have come to the conculsion that I will not be living in this area when I grow old...not enough services for the elderly and health care.
Do the pros outweigh the cons? You bet! I wouldn't have changed a thing if I had to do it over again.
 
Pretty rural here as well. The standard answer to any time question is "Thursday". That's when someone will come out to look at something and maybe do something. Unless it's Wednesday, then the standard answer is "Tuesday".
 
Breakfast Diva,
I almost felt like I was reading something I had posted myself except for the labor stuff.
We have more than enough room, water, land and business potential to expand but are choosing not to for at least the next several years.
I am constantly commenting to my wife and anybody else listening that I'm not sure I could ever live in city again or even within 100' of a neighbor. The level of quiet and open space we have is so important to me, that I can't picture going back to a big city life ever again. There are days that even the 4.5 acres we're on isn't big enough.
I do miss the spontaneity that city life afforded in terms of cultural and last minute dining stuff, but we get out plenty and our "city" is only 25 minutes away, so its not like we're in complete wilderness or anything.
The contractor or service personnel issues are frustrating, but we make do and luckily I'm handy enough to have to only hire out the most difficult or specialized services.
We're both very healthy and a simple, rural lifestyle with lots of good food, exercise, great nights sleep every night and no stress inducing neighbors goes a long way to keeping us healthier than your average urban dweller.
The health care system near here is first rate, so we don't fret much about that stuff.
 
Yep, aspirings looking for country life, be prepared to fix ANYTHING by yourself! And when they do come out, two weeks after answering your call a month later, expect to be charged 3 times as much as what you would pay in the city.
Our HMO health care is good, but expensive, I wish the geriatric was better and geriatric mental health care was even existent (for my dad), along with more programs for the homeless....
 
When DH was growing up, Arlington Heights, Illinois was a town of about 6000 - today probably 90,000. They lived on the outskirts so he grew up, in the country. I grew up with a Follansbee phone number (we were R4 & my Granny was J3), a Wellsburg address (RD#3), and we went to grade school in Colliers - 5 miles from everything!
Coming back to WV we both had in mind a place in the country. Then we looked at each other - real hard! There was a LOT of gray mixed in there and although we both like country it meant being that remote from services, facilities, and necessities. So we looked in town and found the perfect place for me (all he really needed was a studio and a (when we moved here) rifle range.
I live halfway between 2 of the 10 largest cities in WV (10 miles or so each one to the north and one to the south and a US Rt connects the three) and i have to almost beg to find a contractor. My plumber usually sends someone right away since we bought the furnace from him and I am a business (the weekend of the drain divorce he was out of town).
I also have to admit I have lived in town too long. I have gotten used to the action of being in the middle of things. Although I know there is always something to do living in the country, I do realize that it is something I cannot go back to, as much as I loved it even as a kid working hayfields and milking cows.
 
Breakfast Diva,
I almost felt like I was reading something I had posted myself except for the labor stuff.
We have more than enough room, water, land and business potential to expand but are choosing not to for at least the next several years.
I am constantly commenting to my wife and anybody else listening that I'm not sure I could ever live in city again or even within 100' of a neighbor. The level of quiet and open space we have is so important to me, that I can't picture going back to a big city life ever again. There are days that even the 4.5 acres we're on isn't big enough.
I do miss the spontaneity that city life afforded in terms of cultural and last minute dining stuff, but we get out plenty and our "city" is only 25 minutes away, so its not like we're in complete wilderness or anything.
The contractor or service personnel issues are frustrating, but we make do and luckily I'm handy enough to have to only hire out the most difficult or specialized services.
We're both very healthy and a simple, rural lifestyle with lots of good food, exercise, great nights sleep every night and no stress inducing neighbors goes a long way to keeping us healthier than your average urban dweller.
The health care system near here is first rate, so we don't fret much about that stuff..
Tim_Toad_HLB said:
Breakfast Diva,
I almost felt like I was reading something I had posted myself except for the labor stuff.
We have more than enough room, water, land and business potential to expand but are choosing not to for at least the next several years.
I am constantly commenting to my wife and anybody else listening that I'm not sure I could ever live in city again or even within 100' of a neighbor. The level of quiet and open space we have is so important to me, that I can't picture going back to a big city life ever again. There are days that even the 4.5 acres we're on isn't big enough.
I do miss the spontaneity that city life afforded in terms of cultural and last minute dining stuff, but we get out plenty and our "city" is only 25 minutes away, so its not like we're in complete wilderness or anything.
The contractor or service personnel issues are frustrating, but we make do and luckily I'm handy enough to have to only hire out the most difficult or specialized services.
We're both very healthy and a simple, rural lifestyle with lots of good food, exercise, great nights sleep every night and no stress inducing neighbors goes a long way to keeping us healthier than your average urban dweller.
The health care system near here is first rate, so we don't fret much about that stuff.
You're so lucky to be only 25 minutes from culture and health care. Our bigger town which is only 4,500 population is a 25 minute drive and that's where my closest grocery store is.
We've grown so accustomed to living the rural life that we are now purchasing a house closer to our major metropolitan area, but still rural on a few acres. It's only 30 minutes to the big city. We'll rent the house until we're ready to sell the B&B. This city slicker can't be drug back to the big city.
l5e430d42-m11x.jpg

My retirement tub!
 
I want that tub! Great view!
There is always a trade-off in every situation. I live in a very small town where it's very peaceful and not much goes on. There is a lot to do in terms of outdoor activities but not much in the way of cultural events. For that we have to travel 1 1/2 hours to the Big City. But, when I am sitting on my back deck, looking out over the lake and mountains, I wouldn't trade it for anything (unless it was a place within walking distance to my beloved Fenway Park AND included free Red Sox tix, then maybe...).
 
We have the best of both worlds.....sort of. We have all the above mentioned pleasures of the country and woes of living away from civilization, yet we're only 10 minutes from the emergency room and decent places to shop and dine. I must admit though, we periodically make the 2 hour trip to the big city. I have to have my sushi fix.
 
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