Before I get to the title subject of this article, I will spend admittedly more time explaining why you need to consider "of the Month Clubs". The bulk of this article is about a problem rather than a solution. When people, or families, move from an urban location, surrounded by bustle to a quieter rural location, they may not be truly ready for the sudden separation from activity. Sometimes one family member will be at ease with the change and may not recognize problems that others are feeling.
Any type of change in location or lifestyle can be difficult, as people will miss some things from their former life. Every major city in the world has concrete proof of this with the many "Ex-patriot" or "Ethnic" stores, shops, and hangouts. These places carry items from food to magazines, that help ease the transition of immigrants. People get "homesick", which is why they frequent these kind of shops or locations.
But what happens when you move just 60 miles from a city that you grew up in to a hobby farm or acreage? Is it possible to be homesick for something so close? Things are slightly different but you can't quite put your finger on it. This is especially tough if you figured things would be more similar, after all, you are only an hour away, right? So, how do you ease this transition to a seemingly slightly different, yet completely different life? Sure you can go into the city now and again, visit old haunts, shops, etc. Maybe a market near your property carries most things you would get in the city or will order them in for you.
In the summer you have all these exciting new projects to work on, in addition to exploring the area around your new rural property. But what about the winter, are there winter activities? Yes, some of the time. However, sometimes the weather is just too bad to enjoy them, and then there is the problem of the shorter daylight hours. If you have livestock, of course, a portion of your day will revolve around feeding and caring for them, they also will limit your ability to leave for extended periods. By 7:30 PM, your chores are done, you have had dinner, it is dark outside, you're not ready to go to bed yet and neither is your family.
There is nothing on television, you and your entire family are tired of every board game in the house, You have already read all your books and magazines and it's too soon to read them again. No one wants to watch "that DVD again" . Cabin fever has set in. You need an influx of anything "new" to relieve this. Something new to talk about, watch, read, do, or eat. I might mention that if you live on an acreage at least one family member will be sick of zucchini or potatoes by at least February. Maybe sooner. They may even be sick of everything "Home-made" and home grown. At this point you might say "Not me, not my family!", but it can happen, and very likely will.
Winter time can be an incredibly difficult time for people living in the country. Even the member of the family who is the most gung-ho about getting back to the land can get disillusioned during a long difficult winter. Small things can help in easing this transition. Your mail box just might become your lifeline for maintaining sanity during the winter months. Having your mail box receive more than bills, local flyer's or advertisements can be one of the greatest psychological health remedies for the new rural resident.
Things You Can Do
If you have a computer and Internet access, get an Internet auction account. This can be on eBay, Yahoo, or any other Internet auction site. Do some on-line window shopping and every so often treat yourself to some small luxury item to look forward to finding in your mailbox from time to time. However, what may be a better solution is having things that will arrive in your mailbox monthly.
Magazine Subscriptions
Magazine Subscriptions are something that a person can look forward to monthly. Say you have a teenage daughter, and you've just moved to a Hobby Farm, get her a subscription to Seventeen Magazine. You have her doing chores, which may include walking about in animal dung, she may need to feel like a girl for a few minutes a day. If you're a family (like mine) of artists, who've moved to the country to practice sustainable living, subscriptions to magazines on Arts and Culture can come in quite handy in this transition. If you are worried about the environmental impact of magazines, then plant more trees on your property as an offset, and recycle your magazines among friends and neighbors.
Book, CD, or DVD of the Month Clubs
Sure you can rely on radio, or satellite television for music and movies, but do you really want to be solely at the mercy of what ever random thing is on? Your local community may even have a library or bookstore. However, depending on your tastes they might not have what you are looking for and some won't be willing to order it in. Joining one of these types of "of the month clubs" can put what you really want to read, hear, or watch, in your mailbox and gives you something to look forward to on dreary winter days.
Other Types "of the Month" Clubs
There are many other types "of the month" clubs. Cheesecake of The Month, Gourmet Cookie of The Month, Tropical Fruit of The Month, Plant of The Month, Coffee of The Month, Tea of The Month, Lingerie of The Month, Video Game of The Month, Bread of The Month, Cheese of The Month, Chocolate of The Month, Hot Sauce of the Month, Pizza of The Month, and even Bacon of the Month. These types of clubs also can help ease your transition from Urban to Rural Life quite nicely. Even if you are a person who believes that you can go "back to the simple life", a person that wants to raise and grow their own food, you may have struggles with this transition. Even if you don't, most likely one or more family members are having a difficult time. This is the honest truth from someone who has been through and still going through this transition. For an Urban person to go Rural it's hard and the hardest parts are the winters, and rainy days. Rural winters can break an urban person's dream of "getting back to the land" unless you give yourself and your family some type of luxury items that serve the same psychological purpose as "letters from home" serve in anyone who is no longer in their element. This will have the same positive effect on your family as a care package sent to a soldier serving in a foreign land.
