Small Town Life

Oscar and I currently live in a rented townhouse in a large planned community, which has 2 grocery stores, a McDonald's, a Ruby Tuesdays, a Starbucks, 4 pools, 3 elementary schools, and a planned middle school. We have short commutes to work. But we're not really happy here. Life moves too quickly. People are very materialistic. It's not really how we want to raise our children.

We've talked a lot about moving farther out, to a much smaller town. We still want to find a community to live in, but one that just has houses and 1 community center. Houses that are farther apart, with a little land. A much slower pace of life where you get your ice cream from a little stand rather than a franchise.

Oscar works with a number of people who live up there, as well as an old friend from high school, and they all love it. The commute, which would be about an hour, doesn't bother them. Many of whom have been doing it for 10+ years. The schools are pretty close to the level of where we live now, the home prices are much less, and the quality of life is higher. It sounds wonderful.

It's just a hard to make that decision. We're still a couple years off from buying a house, so we have time to decide. However, this decision isn't something we can undo once we make it. If we buy a house out there, we're committed. What if the commute wears on us? What if we don't like small town life after all? I don't think that will be the case, but there are a lot of what ifs.

We'd be trading convenience for a simpler lifestyle. I think that will make us happier. I think that will make our boys happier. I see all these teenagers that are as materialistic as their parents, and I don't want that for my children. I want them to enjoy simple pleasures, like a small-town barbecue, and a walk in the woods. I don't want them to be concerned with having the latest gadget or the most popular label on their clothes.

It really does sound like the best decision for us, but until we actually make it and move up there, we have no way of knowing for sure. I've suggested finding a place to rent up there, just to see if we like it, but Oscar doesn't want to go to the effort of moving unless we're doing it for good. That's a huge leap of faith. We really need to take the time to get to know the area, the people, the schools, and the neighborhoods.

I think we'd all be happier with a small town life.