Grew up in the country in Western Nebraska. My wife grew up in Tacoma, WA. Let's just say that visiting the country is fun. Living there is VERY lonely and a lot of work. When I have the itch to get to the country there are many a bed and breakfast I can go to. I do know a guy that was a high-end software salesman. He grossed about $350k/yr during the dot com boon. The dude gave it all up to make organic goat cheese. He had spent all his life in the city and had some romantic idea of ranching. After purchasing the ranch/farm he started his operation. Unfortunately it takes more than a simple hobby and a few book to make a profitable operation. He now employs the locals to do most of the work on this ranch. I've tried a 4oz sample of the cheese for $12. Let's just say I won't be purchasing any more at that price. Oh...a flood nearly wiped out his livestock in each of the last 2 years. That's what you get for buying the really pretty river-front property.
Not middle-aged, but am a white guy. To me the appeal is that I wouldn't have to be around other people. Other people often annoy me. Not them personally, but just having lots of people around. I prefer solitude. Also, if you just happen to be into long-distance biking, there are plenty of long, empty roads for you to ride on. I just moved to a small town and it's nice to not have to navigate Austin for 30 minutes before you can finally open it up and not hit a stoplight every 1/2 mile. Everything's got its plus-es and minus-es. There's a lot I miss about Austin, and if I get the chance soon, I'll probably move back. But I'd miss a few things about small town life too. Why white guys? I dunno. Maybe white guys are more likely to have white-collar jobs and work in a cubicle, and they yearn for open space and something other than staring at a computer, wearing a tie, and dealing with ******** all day. But that's just a guess.
The country is beautiful. I love riding, camping, hunting, fishing. Not sure I'd live there 100 percent of the tie but surelay 50 % would be just fine.
For you Austin hippies from the '70's: "Take me to the mountains if you please, I would gladly trade the cement for the trees..." from Shiva's Headband
Both of my parents came from farms near small towns. When I was a kid they always we always went back to see my grandparents. I often stayed the summers with my grandparents. It was good being with them during that time, but living in the country bored the hell out of me. Sure there were some good things to do. Hunting, fishing but even that gets old after a while. I just missed the variety of things to do in the city. I will always have some attachment to country life but I prefer city lights.
Here is what I like: It takes me between one and two minutes to get to work everyday (depending on whether or not I catch the stoplight). I'm twenty minutes from Baffin Bay. I'm 8 miles from my favorite deer blind. I live two miles from my favorite dove hunting spot. I'm 260 miles from my girlfriend. (just kidding)
I'm white. Moving to the country is a fantasy of mine and has been since they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
I'm tired of this dirty old city. Entirely too much work and never enough play. And I'm tired of these dirty old sidewalks. Think I'll walk off my steady job today. Turn me loose, set me free, somewhere in the middle of Montana. And gimme all I got comin' to me, And keep your retirement and your so called social security. Big City turn me loose and set me free. Been working everyday since I was twenty. Haven't got a thing to show for anything I've done. There's folks who never work and they've got plenty. Think it's time some guys like me had some fun. Turn me loose, set me free, somewhere in the middle of Montanna. And gimme all I got comin' to me, And keep your retirement and your so called social security. Big City turn me loose and set me free.
Whoa there, you bunch of hotshots. They didn't build the country on rock-n-roll. WE built this city, We built this city on rock and roll Say you don't know me, or recognize my face Say you don't care who goes to that kind of place Knee deep in the hoopla, sinking in your fight Too many runaways eating up the night Marconi plays the Mamba, Listen to the radio Don't you remember? We built this city We built this city on rock and roll! We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Someone always playing corporation games Who cares they're always changing corporation names We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage They call us irresponsible, write us off the page Marconi plays the Mamba, Listen to the radio Don't you remember? We built this city We built this city on rock and roll! We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll It's just another Sunday in a tired old street Police have got the choke hold, and we just lost the beat Who counts the money underneath the bar Who rides the wrecking ball into our guitars Don't tell us you need us, 'cause we're the ship of fools Looking for America, crawling through your schools Don't you remember ... Marconi plays the Mamba, Listen to the radio - Don't you remember? We built this city, We built this city on rock and roll We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll We built, we built this city yeah We built this city We built, we built this city (Repeat - fade)
Oh, yeah? How about some more? WE built this city, We built this city on rock and roll Say you don't know me, or recognize my face Say you don't care who goes to that kind of place Knee deep in the hoopla, sinking in your fight Too many runaways eating up the night Marconi plays the Mamba, Listen to the radio Don't you remember? We built this city We built this city on rock and roll! We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Someone always playing corporation games Who cares they're always changing corporation names We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage They call us irresponsible, write us off the page Marconi plays the Mamba, Listen to the radio Don't you remember? We built this city We built this city on rock and roll! We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll It's just another Sunday in a tired old street Police have got the choke hold, and we just lost the beat Who counts the money underneath the bar Who rides the wrecking ball into our guitars Don't tell us you need us, 'cause we're the ship of fools Looking for America, crawling through your schools Don't you remember ... Marconi plays the Mamba, Listen to the radio - Don't you remember? We built this city, We built this city on rock and roll We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll We built, we built this city yeah We built this city We built, we built this city (Repeat - fade)
I'd like to have a place in the country, but I think it's in part b/c I've lived my whole life in the city. Don't get me wrong, I like city living, city jobs, and city convience. But when it's time to hang up the grind one day I'd like to spend most of my time outside of the bright lights. However, I think I'd still like to have a place in town where I could spend some time as well, someplace like NYC.
Don't it make you want to dance (like a middle aged white man) Don't it make you want to smile When you're down, down, down, in the country pick and sing a while I am a middle aged white man that can't dance and I would love to live out in the country.
I think it's mostly a stereotype..I'm black and I can't wait to retire and move back home..I know quite a few blacks who retired or moved to the country. However, most had ties there, so maybe that has something to do with it.
So far, the stereotype applies to me. I am white, married, and middle-aged. I live a little outside Austin now (in Hays country), but when I retire to the country, it isn't about wanting to live off the grid, it's about living the lifestyle that suits both me and my wife. When I was a kid, my dad taught me that no one really owns land, we just get to be stewards of the land. That appeals to me. I like to commune with nature. I've spent plenty of my adult life in the rat race accumulating the means necessary to provide security and a comfortable life for my family. Sure, I'll miss the convenience of fine dining and ready entertainment, but those things, along with many of the material trappings of the urban/suburban life, just aren't that important to us. I'm the kind of person who could have been just as happy being born 150 years ago. My Texas ancestors survived just fine without AC, TV, internet, etc, but I'll still have all of those conveniences. Right now, my dad and stepmom are enjoying a glorious retirement in the country. It's my favorite getaway. Like someone else mentioned, pissing off the front porch with a beautiful view is a great thing. One of my current favorite things is having some beers or The Macallan with my dad in the splendid solitude of his porch without the annoying sounds of interstates or city streets. While I love the feeling of being connected in the city and suburbs, I feel much more alive and connected to whatever it is that is bigger than us when I'm in the country. Sorry to make this so long, I guess that for me, being in the country makes it so much easier to connect with the things in life that truly matter. I'm ready to give up HOA meetings, getting dressed up for fundraisers, etc, worrying about the size of my parties, what the neighbors think, and all of that stuff. I'm ready to deal with tending livestock, gardening, managing my property, and living a more simple life. I don't know how much race has to do with it, but I don't care what race my neighbors are. If they are responsible, conscientious landowners and like to enjoy life to the fullest, I'm sure we'll get along.
It's this white guys fantasy. I grew up on a farm and then moved to town/city when I went to college. Have not lived on a farm since then. We will be moving back to the country soon, but the wife still wants to be within an hour of a big city and I want to live in the middle of a huge ranch.
I'm an over-the-hill white guy about to retire. I think about retiring to Alpine sometimes. Not exactly the country but out of the city. Even so I still have not found a place that I like better or fits me better than Austin. Adios to all this concrete Say hello to some dirt road back street. If I can ever get off of this L.A. freeway Without getting killed or caught, I'd be down that road in a cloud of smoke For some land there that I ain't bought bought bought. (Guy Clark)
I don't know. I grew up in rural NE Texas; my dad fancied himself a rancher/farmer. Some parts of it were OK - hunting, fishing, clipping pastures, riding horses. The rest of it was a bunch of hardass work - hauling hay, working cows, tending the garden, building fences, etc. Take your normal suburban existence and multiply the chores by about 20X. On top of that, a 30 minute drive to the nearest grocery store, which kind of ****** things when you needed an onion or something for dinner. Maybe when I retire, I'll consider it. No animals bigger than a dog.
I'm one middle aged white guy who's come full circle. For the first decade of my career, we lived in a house in town. Then we moved out to the country so the kids could grow up "normal," and it was truly great. No back fence, wide open spaces for the kids to explore, tell them "be in by dark" with no worries, know everybody in the community, etc. But now that we're empty nesters (and still in our 40's), we're moving back into the city into a downtown condo. No more lawn/yard to tend, driveway to edge, long drives to work/stores/mall, pool to take care of, varmints to battle, vandalism/security concerns, etc. It's all where you are in life.
