City Girl Goes Country

I have always lived "in town". I grew up in the bustling suburbs of Chicago. In Illinois, Pennsylvania,  and Kansas, I've always lived within the city limits. Fast food, grocery stores, banks, coffee -- all my best loved creature comforts within a mile or two from where I have lived.

Now I am experiencing living in the country for the first time in my life. City girl goes to the country!

How am I fairing so far? Well, not too bad. Actually, better than that. I'm really enjoying many aspects of country life.  

Most mornings, Lyndon and I start out with a walk up our neighborhood mountain. Okay, it's not a mountain mountain, but we're close to 3000 feet elevation and the hill up the road is steep! My legs get a nice daily workout on our walk.

While on our walk we see chickens and their little pollitos, a beautifully colored bull, two cows and their calves. We often visit with our neighbor, Edgardo, on his way to milk the cows for his wife to turn into cheese.

Torementa, a scruffy little dog named after the hurricane storm that brought her over the mountains to a new home with Edgardo, also follows us around many mornings, whimpering until we give her a pat on the head.  

Watching our neighbor milk his cow, seeing the school children march up the mountain to learn first hand about a working farm, harvesting bananas with a machete, picking up fresh mangoes off the side of the road -- all a part of the country lifestyle here.

Quite a contrast to the skyscrapers of Chicago that I'm familiar with!

We cook and eat almost all our meals at home these days because we are actually a 25 minute drive from town along very windy mountain roads!

During our down time we swim in the pool that our rental house has, and we picnic with neighbors. Recently, Lyndon and another neighbor, Jorge, enjoyed an informal acoustic guitar jam session together. We also  relax by playing dominoes (Lyndon has yet to win) in the evening, windows open, enjoying the sounds of the country. [And to my friend Henryka, I actually find the croaking of the coquí frogs relaxing at night!]

Life in the country is growing on me. I even hang out our laundry on the line to dry in the sun!

We do keep busy, though. Lyndon writes full time and I teach English as a second language online for my part time work. While I'm seated at the table I have a view of my screen, but also of the countryside just across the street. 

It's not unusual for me to see chickens, cats, dogs, and occasionally a stray cow wandering up or down the street. I often hear the rooster in the mornings and the guinea hens chattering at each other in the afternoons.

I also have a nice view of the ever changing weather. There are so many little micro climates in this small mountain area near Orocovis. We're right in the middle of Puerto Rico, and the scenery is truly a buena vista.

We are happily settling into a slower-paced lifestyle. The neighbors are warm and friendly, and oh so tolerant of our emerging Spanish skills. It's very relaxing here. I don't recall a time in my life when I've had so many nights of 8+ hours of sleep!  

Do I miss having a major grocery store 1 mile away or being able to go on a Starbucks run? Sure. That being said, I wouldn't want to miss the experience. I'm having now in the memorable, peaceful, enjoyable country.

Some of our neighbors taking us on a walk up the mountain.