Trish on Living Rural

Ahhh, my dear Trish. She goes for it and doesn't look back. Read and be inspired and then…get outside and breathe in some NATURE! 

1. Tell me three things about yourself.

I love to dance. Being in nature brings me great peace. I love a good laugh.

2. Who is in your family?

My husband Vaughn and our two daughters Freya (almost 5!) Zoe (2 and a half) our dog Herb and our cat Rosie.

3. Describe yourself in three words.

Determined, intelligent, caring.

4. Where do you live, and for how long have you lived there?

We live east of Erickson, Manitoba which is 10km south of Riding Mountain National Park. We have lived in this area for 9 years.

5. Did you always think you’d end up living in the country?

Yes. I grew up in a small town south of Winnipeg along the Red River and I knew I would live in the city for a stint but in my heart of hearts I've always been a country girl.

6. Describe your surroundings.

Our house sits a top a hill surrounded by farmers fields. The East overlooks a large lake called Otter Lake. We get to watch the sunrise over the lake in all her glory. My favorite is on hot summer mornings when the water looks like glass and the sun comes up and the light reflects off the surface of the lake whilst all the water fowl come alive with the breaking of a new day. It's breathtaking. To the North are the rolling hills of RMNP where there's miles upon miles of bush, to the South there's fields, bush and a small little airstrip. To the West there's more fields and rolling hills and an equally breathtaking view of the sunset. We are incredibly blessed to live in such a beautiful spot. A couple of weeks ago Freya said this to me, "Mama, I love where we live. It is just such a special place. And I love the trees so much. Trees are a special kind of love. I feel so much love around all these trees."

7. How did you come to live in this place?

We moved to the area after a very challenging year in Winnipeg. I felt like I couldn't breathe anymore, like the pace and energy of city living was suffocating me. So we searched for land, found a beautiful spot and made the craziest move out here! 

8. What is your favourite thing about living rural?

The space that it offers me and our family to grow and be close to nature.

9. What is your least favourite thing about living rural?

All the driving! It can be crazy making.

10. What did you love about living in a city?

That I could ride my bike everywhere that I needed to go.

11. What were you most happy to leave behind when you moved out of a city?

The vibrations of city living. By that I mean the pace, all the people and the lack of connection to any of those processes. I always feel so rattled after spending any amount of time in the city.

12. How do you feel coming home to your rural spot, after having been in a city?

Like I can breathe again! Big, full, deep breaths. 

13. How has living in the country affected how “connected” you feel to the rhythms of the earth? For example, hearing the birds, seeing the sun rise and set, noticing the stars…what impact does that have?

I cannot downplay the affect of these natural rhythms on my life and the lives of my family members. Freya can identify pretty much any wild animal that lives in the area, including specific species of birds, "Hey Mama, I just saw a Purple Finch!" or Zoe “A special thing just happened Mama! Two hawks flew over our house!” (They weren’t really hawks but I have to admit that I was impressed that she assigned a species to the birds that flew overhead!)  When we go to bed at night its quiet and dark or the sky is alive with northern lights or the full moon. We watch the sunrise over the lake everyday and set in the hills every evening. I feel rooted and connected to the land around me and the natural processes that occur with each changing season. It feels like home. I sometimes wonder how this landscape will become a part of my children or how they will internalize this landscape. I believe that our connection to the natural rhythms of the earth is fundamental to the ways in which we all learn and grow.

14. Does it get lonely?

No and yes. I have two small children so I'm NEVER alone! Ha ha! But I have felt isolated from others at times. Like in the dead of winter when we've been snowed in for days on end and I feel as though we'll never get out. Otherwise we have an amazing community of extremely lovely, talented and intelligent people here. While the pace of living feels slower than in the city, there's absolutely no shortage of things to do around here.

15. How do you think about/ or do employment differently in the country than the city? Do you find there are less options, or more?

There aren't as many job options but there are still many opportunities to find good paying, fulfilling work. It’s different than the city, but I’m ok with that. Right now I’m not really focused on a career outside of motherhood. It’s the hardest and shittiest paying job I’ve ever had, but I do love it!

16. Describe the difference between friendships/community in the city where you lived and the country where you now live? I mean, how do people socialize or do community differently, in your experience?   

              

 I wouldn’t say that its all that different. I mean, obviously there’s far less people here than in Winnipeg so that whole ‘small town’ stigma definitely applies. It’s impossible to like everyone but in a rural setting you kind of have to figure out how to find something likable within everyone. I like to see it as a sort of challenge. We are connected with lots of families in the area so we have potlucks, we help each other out with projects, we take care of each others children, we have community events and support one another. Just like good friends do no matter where you’re situated.

17. What has surprised you about living rural?                 

How little money we spend in comparison to city living. That was the most remarkable thing to us the first year that we lived here.

18. What do you imagine will be the biggest impact on your kids, of living in the country instead of the city?               

                                                                       I truly believe that their natural surroundings plays an integral role in their development. My children will not suffer from Nature Deficit Disorder! They are still so little and yet they understand or are incredibly tuned in to the natural rhythms of their surroundings. I cannot say for sure, but I can imagine that this would be a difficult thing to offer a child living in the city.

19. Can you say something about how quality of life has changed for you since living rural?         

                                                                                               

 I am more comfortable with my life. I find great peace in being outdoors and I’m more “together” than I ever was as an urbanite. I remember feeling very anxious when I lived in the city. It’s very rare for me to suffer from anxiety out here because I have the ability to step outdoors into a vast amount of space and soak it all up. I’m much more grounded. I feel at ease here.

20. Tell me about the wildlife around you. What’s a magical moment you’ve had in nature lately?                 

We have an abundant amount of creatures big and small living in the area all around us. Wolves, coyotes, lynx, cougars, black bears, moose, elk, deer, snowshoe hare, great grey owls, bald eagles, pelicans, countless species of birds and many beautiful insects. Just the other day I was out on a birding workshop and I watched a trumpeter swan on the lake while some elk walked along the edge of the adjacent meadow. It was pure magic. Nature is so perfectly beautiful. Oh and then there was the day not so long ago when I locked eyes with a lynx. What a gift from such an elusive creature!