Country versus City

Sometimes guests ask me if living out here in the remote backcountry is hard.  Do I ever miss the city and everything that living in a town offers?  Like, the culture, the restaurants, pubs, cafes, malls and more than 30 people in one place at any given time.  Well, the answer is...no.  Other than my family and friends, I don’t miss too much about the city. 

Oh sure, every once in a while I dream about people watching while drinking a cold beer on a down town patio with friends.  Sure, sometimes I long for a special coffee that comes from some fancy machine in a cute little café decorated with local art.  And sure, my pick of 25 yoga studios and a hundred different, talented, instructors does leave me wistfully daydreaming of my favourite yoga classes.  But then, I remind myself of all the things that living in ‘the bush’ has got on the city.  For example: I forget where I put my wallet….about 2 months ago.  I also have no idea where my keys are…or my car.  I need not worry about how I’m going to get somewhere or how long it will take.  I live where I work and I never have to commute, unless you count the 5-minute walk to the ranch house from my tent.  And during that 5-minute ‘commute’, no one ever crashes into me because they’re texting while walking--walkxting.  In fact, phones rarely enter my thoughts.  I don’t get phone calls at inopportune times, never have to answer texts when I would rather be paying attention to the friends I’m actually hanging out with in person (but, of course, I don’t want to seem anti-social), and my smart phone is not a fixed and permanent accessory to all outfits out here.   It’s pretty nice.  The air is cleaner, the nights are darker and the stars are brighter.  Now all I need to do is get all my friends jobs at Siwash or convince my parents to buy a ranch!