The 5 things no-one tells you about moving to the country.

Look, it's always good to start a story with a disclaimer, it keeps expectations under control. 

I moved from Sydney to the country 16 months ago. Except I didn't. As is often pointed out to me, the 'country' is a place without pavements. What I moved to was a small regional town. We have pavements. We also have takeaway coffee, and a shop you can "nip" to for some milk, and a bakery. And a barber shop. So, you know, it's not exactly the outback. 

But still, for a lifelong urban person, moving out of the city felt like a giant step. A literal life change. A new start, a clean slate, all those things. 

It's been a good move (you can read about that, here). My family has more space to breathe. A slower pace, natural beauty, freedom to roam. We live in a house with a garden. We've made new friends. We've kept our old ones. Life is good. 

But of course, there are a few things about moving to the country that I didn't think of, and no-one warned us about. They're not bad, they're not all good, they just are. And here are a few. 

1. You drive more.

Image: Supplied.

I grew up in a big city. I was an urban cabs-buses-trains person. I didn't own a car until I was over 30. I didn't drive daily until I was a parent, and suddenly things like daycare drop-off and giant supermarket shops were niggling realities. Now, I am one of those Australians I used to wonder at – the ones who think a two-hour drive is No Big Deal. I whizz up and down the highway to Sydney without much thought, I drive for the shops, for school, for sport. I drive on pot-holed single-lane highways and three-lane freeways at the instructed 110km. 

I know the best rat runs and timings for getting out of the city, fast. I am finally a person who loves to drive. Which is why we need a new car, and why the one we want, like the Honda CR-V Black Edition, will be comfortable, stylish, safe and have all the little bells and whistles that make driving actually pleasant. 

Image: Supplied.

A moment please for its all black leather interior. And the heated front seats for those cold winter morning starts, Sensing Safety Technology to keep me out of trouble, Apple CarPlay for all my podcasts (don't worry, there's Android Auto too), interior space for days, lots of cupholders and armrests and spots to charge things and stash snacks... basically a moving home away from home. Yes, I am a car person now.

My (Brent's) new pride and joy. Image: Supplied.

2. Convenience is overrated.

My city friends – and my former self – can't actually believe that there's no Uber Eats where we've moved to. Not only that, but no delivery food, full stop. Maybe a pizza if it's Friday night and you order before 7pm. 

Otherwise, you're on your own, dinner wise, unless you want to go out. And I don't want to be a wanker about this, but it's been the best thing for us. 

Yes, we have to cook every night, and who wants that, but it means we eat less processed food, more fruit and vegetables, we spend less money, and we make less waste. Less excellent is that there also is no Airtasker person you can call to come and build your flatpack furniture when allen key fatigue hits. This is why country people are capable, friends. 

3. You need a dog.

Like really, really, you do. We moved to the country with a dog, our beautiful girl Elvi. And she loved it. She loved her morning walks along the creek and her weekend runs at the beach. She loved that we were home more and that she had a garden to sniff around in. 

She loved trying to get to know the cows across the road, even if they didn't want a bar of her. But we lost Elvi, about a month ago, and it doesn't feel right to be here without our girl. Country people love dogs. There's one on the back of every ute, one being walked on every patch of green. When we lost our Elvi, we were inundated with understanding support. Everyone got it. In time, we will find a new puppy for our family, because our country home isn't a home without one.

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4. It's true, everyone knows everyone.  

You can't talk smack about anyone in a small town. If you complain to your new friend at the school gate that someone was rude to you in line at the IGA (don't worry, no-one was rude to me in the IGA, we don't need to start a war), you can guarantee that that person in question was your friend's cousin, boss, old teacher, mate or sister-in-law. 

There's no such thing as a generic piece of gossip in a place where everyone knows your name. Which is excellent, because if you ever need anything, someone knows someone who can do it/has it/ can get it for you. And also because, pretty soon, everyone will know your name, too.

5. You want to like quiet nights.

Image: Supplied.

The place we've moved to is bustling with tourists and locals during the day but by about 5.30pm, you could line-dance down the main street in a bikini and there'd be no-one much around to whoop along. 

A few people in the pub or heading to one of the few restaurants, but in general, you can walk around town after dark and not see a single soul. I love the peace and the stillness, but I know that young me would have found it stiflingly silent. What my kids will make of that as they get older, I've no idea. 

But I do know I won't struggle to tell them why we moved them from the big city in the first place. And it wasn't just for the driving on the wide open roads with the tunes on.

Book a test drive and experience the Honda CR-V Black Edition for yourself.

Feature Image: Instagram/@wainwrightholly

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