When we moved from South Carolina to Virginia, we left the fastest growing area in the state of South Carolina. Convenience was everywhere. What started out as a rural area turned into a booming metropolis. The older locals that had been in the town for most of their lives resented the drastic growth and the problems that came with it. The transplants from other states loved the growth and wanted all the amenities possible. There were grocery stores, shopping, coffee shops and restaurants in abundance.
Unfortunately, convenience always comes with a price! The county we lived in allowed uncontrolled growth. This uncontrolled growth ushered in a toxic cocktail of crumbling infrastructure, crime, higher taxes, traffic and congestion. For most people, this is a trade-off they are willing to accept.
A Simple Life
However, we craved a simple, quiet life! We were willing to give up any convenience for it. After searching for a year, we found the life we wanted to live down a one-lane country road in a quiet, little town in Virginia.
It’s the life you think of when you leave the city behind. A place where the birds sing their songs on spring mornings. Or the sound of wind rushing through the holler that sounds like the ocean. I love the daily sounds of a rooster crowing nearby. On occasion, you will hear a woodpecker hard at work in a tree that sounds like a machine gun.
Since living here, there have been many evenings of the lonely calls of a coyote in the distance. Many times, the only sound you hear is…SILENCE. Have we ever lived in a more noisy time. I have found there is a great peace and reflection that comes from unplugging from the noise of our lives. It’s easy to do here!
Our Simple Town
The first time we visited our little town, we loved it. It was very much like stepping into “Mayberry.” Main Street still has the glass-front shops. They still decorate their windows for Christmas! To most, our town would not have much to offer. But for us, it had everything we needed.
There are no chain fast food restaurants. Just a few mom and pop type eateries. They serve up local favorites with a smile and a side of friendliness. We’ve got the basics, but nothing more. If you are looking for fancy, this isn’t the town for you. You don’t have to dress to impress in our town. No one is putting on a fashion show coming to town. What a relief! Sometimes you just want to throw on a baseball cap and go. We have one grocery store in town that is actually stocked quite good for a rural area. Of course, no town would be complete without the local Dollar General. After all, if it’s not at Dollar General, you probably don’t need it!
Simple Joys
One thing you will notice about our town…there’s never any traffic or congestion! We left a congested area, so this is almost like Heaven. Just because the town is small doesn’t mean the people who live here don’t have fun. For a small town, there are always festivals, farmer’s markets and all sorts of things going on throughout the year. Music is such a part of the culture and there are many opportunities to take advantage of local musicians in various venues or outside of the local courthouse!
If the small town charm doesn’t get you, the picturesque, rural countryside and mountains will. One of our prerequisites for leaving South Carolina was to move somewhere that was beautiful. There is not a day that goes by where that standard is not met. The outdoor activities are many and another attractive aspect of our small town. No couch potatoes! There are wonderful places to hike, bike, fish and just get outdoors.
After living in our small town for almost a year, do I miss the convenience? Honestly, there are times that I do miss some of the conveniences. I love TJ Maxx, but it is over an hour away. You don’t get pizza delivery on the mountaintop! That’s probably for the best though. Our town is over 20 minutes away through winding mountain roads. We don’t even have a Wal-Mart! My husband would say he misses Lowes since there are always so many projects he is undertaking. For the few things we miss, our mountaintop and the joys of our small town more than make up for in so many other, wonderful ways. We still love the choices we have made to get here and wouldn’t change them for anything! “We love these hills of old Virginia.
