For some time now I’ve been considering life in a more rural setting. My husband has been all for the idea, but fear of leaving the city has been holding me back. Well, I’m finally ready to face that fear. I decided that the only way to find out for sure is to just do it. So, with a great deal of excitement (and no small amount of apprehension on my part) we’ve made a plan to leave the big city and buy a few acres out in the country.
I wrote those words back in 2008 when I started this blog. Since that time our family has planned, saved, and dreamed of life on a small acreage. That dream became reality in January, 2010 when we purchased a 4 acre property on beautiful Vancouver Island.
I am The Wife, a former research scientist now living in domestic bliss as a stay-at-home mum while doing some part-time consulting on the side. Husband is an electronics engineer. Daughter (born ’02) and Son (born ’04) are free spirits whose education takes the form of unschooling. You can learn more about that aspect of our lives by visiting my other blog, FreeLearning.
If you go back in the archives of this blog you’ll find discussions about eating locally, living simply and sustainably, and turning dreams into action. Under the “Simplicity” tab is list of books I’ve read and reviewed that cover topics related to Simple Living.
As of January, 2010 this blog will document the process of establishing a homestead on our land. While we will continue to embrace the principles of Simple Living, my posts will focus on various farm projects from the perspective of someone totally new to the process. Under the “Homesteading” tab will be books I’ve read and reviewed related to homesteading (growing and storing food, livestock, land maintenance, etc).
Rural Aspirations 
Posted by Lunapads » Blog Archive » Word of mouth - making it work! on April 6, 2008 at 11:50 am
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Posted by Timothy B on January 19, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Plese consider adding Rural Aspirations to Best Green Blogs! I like your writings!
Posted by Jenna on January 3, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Thanks for visiting our site! It does sound like we’re in similar situations and I’d love to share some of our insights. Good luck in your property search – I can already tell you’re putting more thought into it then we ever did. However, we went with our gut(s). Love at first sight and no turning back, and we haven’t regretted the purchase once.
Posted by celestinegardens on November 15, 2011 at 10:49 am
My wife and I recently purchased 5.28 acres in Northeast Texas and it looks like we are on a similar path to you and your husband. Our ultimate goal is to form a self-sufficient, sustainable community based on the education of orphans (noticed your unschooling work, sounds similar to our philosophy). We are currently in the site planning stage and are almost finished with an intro to permaculture course through NC State Univ. (which utilizes Hemenway and Holmgren texts)… I have a lot of questions, but I will read through all of your site first 8-). Thank you for such a wonderful resource…
Namaste’,
will & Samantha
Celestine Gardens
Linden, TX