Personal Stories About Moving To and Living in, the Country - Marianna Severson

in Farm Land

To those of you who remain in the city, yet know that one day you will follow in our footsteps, Marianna shares her first lessons on Country Living...

Marianna Severson lives in the southern mountains of Colorado with her husband James and their (now) three children.

A small, harmless porcupine can make noises resembling a large grizzly bear at 2:00 a.m. These noises, however, present no real need to spend the night stuck in the outhouse.

Keep in mind the picture perfect pies Ma Ingall's was able to whip up in the vast wilderness were PROPS! Trying to reproduce these culinary wonders without a real oven can keep you insanely occupied for weeks on end.

When attempting bread baking it is best to make sure the pan actually fits through the door of the wood burning stove first. Trying to "bake" bread on top of a woodstove fails miserably.

It is written law that you will inevitably run out of propane for your lantern just short of finding your last match. Which leads me to my next lesson, a cooler full of ice puts a nice sized dent in the shin of the average person.

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The Real Scoop On Country Life

If I were to document the events leading up to our dramatic lifestyle change, I would be well on my way of accomplishing that novel I have always wanted to write.

Suffice it to say that city life was just more than I could take, so off we went in search of "The Promised Land".

My husband and I purchased twenty acres in an area of Colorado swelling with beauty. We were thrilled to finally be touching a life we had only dreamed of, and jealously admired, while visiting family with rustic cabins nestled between the pines.

Moving to the Country

Our life in the country had begun on land that was complete with a small 32' x 14' structure referred to by the locals as 'The Icehouse'. A fitting and proper name considering this structure was nothing more than a large walk-in freezer. (You know the kind that people in the movies always get locked in by the bad guy?)

My husband, who sees potential in EVERYTHING, thought it would someday make a nice workshop.

While visiting our little piece of country heaven one weekend a neighbor stopped by and offered my husband a job. After much deliberation we decided to pack up and make the move.

The plan was to fix up the icehouse just enough for the two of us and our four-year-old son to live in. This was to be for a short period of time while we built a larger home. We wrangled up our city slicker friends to help out and in no time had a floor, windows and a wood burning stove installed in "The Icehouse".

I must say, it is a pretty funny sight watching a corporate big-wig dig a privy!

After everyone left we nestled down with a cozy fire and hot toddies, then reality set in...

• "I'm hungry" -- has anyone seen the can opener?
• "I have to go to the bathroom" -- but it’s dark outside!

I quickly learned the true beauty of a chamber pot, thus far having only used one as a planter. The real challenge of course was finding the flashlight in these times of dire emergencies.

Days passed and we all learned to adjust. My son more so than myself. Four year olds are surprisingly flexible.

Building A Home on Country Land

Although it is true that most folks living in the country are helpful and kind, terrible misfortunes can transpire when you place the title "contractor" after a person’s name.

If you will be building a house, get referrals first and EVERYTHING in writing! This does not mean a visit to the contractors' cousin's farm for a blow by blow account of the amazing chicken coop he built -- which by the way resembles the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

This means an actual visit to a home this contractor has built. Go inside and make sure it is not necessary to wear just one elevator shoe to feel level.

If you decide to throw caution to the wind and hire this "Billy" Bob Villa wannabe, remember that country contractors are petrified of irate pregnant women eight months along. I am for hire for a nominal fee.

Lastly, it might be helpful to know that county inspectors are NOT on this earth to make your life a living hell. It may seem this way but actually it is not even in their job description -- just an added bonus!

Colorado Farm Life

We are now settled comfortably in our OWN quiet mountain home nestled peacefully amongst the Colorado country pines.

Yes, we even have running water and electricity, AMEN! I hardly mind having to use very large cinderblocks to keep the books from sliding off of the shelves, really. If you paint them, they don’t look all that bad.

"Was it worth it?" you ask?

Just ask my son, he is standing right here with a frog in his pocket and a healthy glow on his face -- which I am sure is there somewhere behind all that dirt. He'll have the perfect response for you, of that I'm sure.

Contributed by Marianna Severson solely for GoodByeCityLife.com's use. Marianna is the owner of Serenity Lane Hand Milled Soaps.

Are you ready for this life? See our Farms for Sale listings and make your move!