I moved from my country’s biggest city to a rural town. It felt like a last resort, but improved just about everything.

caption

Dale Nel

After spending almost my entire life in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, I needed a change.
My partner and I decided to move to a house in a rural town with plenty of space and nature.
We pay more for our home, but we have a lower cost of living, and my mental health has improved.

I woke up on a random Tuesday with a chunk of hair stress-shed onto my pillow, a pit of nausea in my stomach, and my mind already racing. This was becoming a daily routine.

I’d lived in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city, for almost my entire life. In 2020, my partner and I had moved into a small unit in the city, which we loved at first — but now, after a few years, we were starting to feel hemmed in.

The city, the work, the noise … it was all too much. We had a conversation later that day and realized it was time for a change. She was feeling exhausted, too, and my anxiety was worse than ever.

Our finances were in the tank, and even though we were surrounded by people in a city of 1.7 million, we didn’t have the community we craved.

We started looking to greener pastures — literally — the next day, checking out other neighborhoods for a new place to call home.

After 6 months of searching, we found the perfect spot

The writer's house in New Zealand's countryside. — caption

Dale Nel

We first visited a home in a neighboring suburb, but it reminded us too much of the issues we were having in our little unit. The space felt depressing, dark, and small, and the neighborhood was intimidatingly expensive.

After that, we knew we had to pivot our search and started looking for homes over an hour away from Auckland.

In late 2023, we found the place: an older, three-bedroom countryside home, sitting proudly on a huge patch of green grass. It was sun-filled, quiet, and rural, in a town with a population of under 10,000.

We didn’t even need to step inside. As soon as we pulled into the driveway for a visit, we saw all the greenery and looked at each other. We were thinking the same thing: This was exactly what we needed.

Nature worked its magic on my nervous system

The writer's front yard in New Zealand. — caption tk

Dale Nel

Few things have tempered my anxiety more than moving within spitting distance of a 2,500-acre forest.

For years, I’d lived in units, split townhouses, apartments, or with roommates. I had little privacy and definitely no greenery.

Meanwhile, this quiet plot of tree-filled land invited me outdoors again. I wasn’t cooped up and avoiding too-close neighbors, so I started spending time outside every day.

My new normal helped me feel calm and learn to breathe again, and I found my mental health improving. I picked up the weight I’d lost to anxiety, and my panic attacks stopped.

Though we pay more to live out here, we spend less

The downtown area of a New Zealand countryside town. — caption

Dale Nel

Our new home’s rent is more expensive than our old unit, but the added cost feels worth it to have more space, including a sprawling lawn.

Plus, saving money feels much easier here, anyway. In just one year in the city, I single-handedly spent almost $4,000 NZD, or about $2,300 USD, on Uber Eats.

Here, local takeout options include a small pizza joint, a kebab spot, and fish and chips. We’re about a 10-minute walk from the town center, but without Uber Eats in our vicinity, we just don’t have the opportunity to spend unnecessary money — and as a result, we find ourselves cooking (and saving) much more.

Crucially, for the first time, we were able to save for an emergency fund, which has also eased my anxiety in countless ways.

Now, we know our community, and they know us

The writer's family on the beach in New Zealand. — caption

Dale Nel

Even though we live outside town, we’re more connected to our neighborhood than ever. We know our neighbors, our landlord, and our mechanic. The community Facebook group is full of familiar names, and I check it like a newspaper.

My family had all moved out of Auckland years before we left, and moving brought us 90 minutes closer to all of them.

Now, quick visits and family BBQs — which we never could have hosted in our tiny place in the city — are regular parts of our lives.

We had to learn a lot about rural living, but it was worth it

The writer's partner walking their dog through the woods in New Zealand. — caption

Dale Nel

Moving to a rural area wasn’t perfectly easy. There are huge spiders that wrap our deck and trees in their webs, and on our first night here, the quiet was so unsettling that I couldn’t get to sleep.

All it took was time. Now, those spiders catch stray mosquitoes for us, and the quiet lulls us to sleep. My partner can rest more easily, and says she feels more creative than ever.

I didn’t believe this kind of change was possible, and I’m grateful to have been proven wrong.

The realities of country living had always intimidated me; this wasn’t something I ever thought I’d do. In the end, though, moving out to a small town in the countryside has been one of the best decisions we’ve made.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Content Accuracy: Keewee.News provides news, lifestyle, and cultural content for informational purposes only. Some content is generated or assisted by AI and may contain inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. Readers are responsible for verifying the information. Third-Party Content: We aggregate articles, images, and videos from external sources. All rights to third-party content remain with their respective owners. Keewee.News does not claim ownership or responsibility for third-party materials. Affiliate Advertising: Some content may include affiliate links or sponsored placements. We may earn commissions from purchases made through these links, but we do not guarantee product claims. Age Restrictions: Our content is intended for viewers 21 years and older where applicable. Viewer discretion is advised. Limitation of Liability: By using Keewee.News, you agree that we are not liable for any losses, damages, or claims arising from the content, including AI-generated or third-party material. DMCA & Copyright: If you believe your copyrighted work has been used without permission, contact us at dcma@keewee.news. No Mass Arbitration: Users agree that any disputes will not involve mass or class arbitration; all claims must be individual.

Channels

Recently Played

I moved from my country’s biggest city to a rural town. It felt like a last resort, but improved just about everything.

After 6 months of searching, we found the perfect spot

Nature worked its magic on my nervous system

Though we pay more to live out here, we spend less

Now, we know our community, and they know us

We had to learn a lot about rural living, but it was worth it

A dietitian made 5 simple changes to her eating habits for better brain health

The White House says it’s started laying off federal workers as the shutdown drags on

Sponsored Advertisement

Channels

Recently Played

I moved from my country’s biggest city to a rural town. It felt like a last resort, but improved just about everything.

After 6 months of searching, we found the perfect spot

Nature worked its magic on my nervous system

Though we pay more to live out here, we spend less

Now, we know our community, and they know us

We had to learn a lot about rural living, but it was worth it

A dietitian made 5 simple changes to her eating habits for better brain health

The White House says it’s started laying off federal workers as the shutdown drags on

Related Posts

Samsungs Project Moohan vs Apple Vision Pro: How the rumored spec ...

Pixel Buds 2a review: Googles new mid-range earbuds are a little ...

I got engaged at 33. I didn’t realize how amazing it was to be a ...

Sponsored Advertisement