It has occurred to me that the ‘move’ from town to a rural setting is a somewhat vague and confusing concept for many. It is not that people don’t understand moving to or living in a rural setting, it is rather the transition process that seems so nebulous; what steps are involved, what pitfalls to avoid, etc? So, I thought I’d pass on a few tips.

First off, one has to let go the notion of ease and convenience. It is not that anything in the move is that hard but rather that your routine, your systems, your familiarities and your resources will all be utilized differently and some will be taxed beyond expectations. Everything will be disrupted at the very least. Your regular square dance lessons? Starbucks with Linda? Season tickets to anything; even your favourite TV show – all that will ‘go by the boards’.

Here is how everybody’s system changes, for instance: Cars don’t work on dirt roads. Not for long. You may think you do not need a truck or an SUV. And, you may be right (some people out here make it work for awhile). Most people come to realize that, at the very least, a Subaru Outback or a small SUV is pretty important if not essential. So, accept it. The Miata has to go.

And that is just the vehicle you drive. So, the tip: start looking now for a low mileage, 199X Toyota 4Runner or equivalent. 4×4 is not optional. A small utility trailer (second hand) will be a Godsend.

Another thing is schedule. Things happen less punctually the further from the city core you venture. Even the ferry system. By the time you get to Prince George, they celebrate Xmas in January. In the Yukon, they are a year behind. Haida Gwaai has been lost somewhere in the time space continuum. So, the tip: allow for days to get done in what normally takes hours at home. It is just the way it is.

So, the tip: don’t plan on selling the house in Maple Ridge in June and moving to Spusm in July so as to ‘assemble’ your ‘kit’ cabin in August and still make your daughter’s wedding in September. Not gonna happen.

Here’s a shock: all your ‘stuff’ just ain’t worth much. Not in utility nor moolah. It is certainly not worth anywhere near what you paid for it or even insured it for. More than that, much it is not-so-useful in the country anyway. Lawnmower? Hot-tub? Speedboat? Bicycles? Big screen TV? Fancy dining room suite? 42 piece Greco-Roman-style bedroom ensemble?

Most people go small when they go rural and that, in itself, is a determinant for much of what we carry around. When it doesn’t work in the cabin and you are 300 miles west of Merrit, there is no market for a nice French Provincial 12-seat dining suite complete with China cabinet and sideboard. Sell it in Vancouver and remember, storing it just adds to the overall loss.

Tip: Let go the ‘stuff’ (Inside tip: saddle the kids with it. To them it is an heirloom (hahaha)). When we moved up here, we put stuff in storage. The manager asked, “How long?” Sal answered, “Well, we are going to build our own house on Read all by ourselves so I dunno, maybe six months?” He said, “I’ll write you in for a year and a half. Call me a few months in advance when you want another year.”

Storage cost us $1800. Value of all the ‘stuff’? Considerably less than priceless and probably less than $1800.

Mind you, keep your tools, keep your kitchen utensils and keep anything that is strongly built. May as well ‘chuck’ Ikea. May as well ‘chuck’ desktop computers, suits and ties and briefcases and Florsheim shoes. Chuck ‘glass’ furniture.

Keep winches.

Tip: Plan way, way ahead. I was ‘preparing’ for a move out of the city a year or so before I knew we would move. It was not foresight, it was instinct. I had no idea what the future plan was but I ‘felt’ that it would find me somewhere else. So, I explored my possibilities and prepared where I could. That turned out to be a good move (rare for me, I know). It may also have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whatever.

Then, when we were ready mentally (we still are not ready physically, skill-wise and we are still learning all the time), we made a leap of faith. And we landed on our feet. We were lucky.

But, if I had to do it all over again knowing what I know now, I would be able to do it easier and better. If this blog content piques your interest at all, I’ll write some more about actually ‘doing it’. If not, just ask for more stuff on ravens.