The “Reality” of Country Living

Here’s the deal.

I have not watched The Bachelor since Jake picked cray-cray Vieanna and not sweet, little Tinley in 2009. But, I do watch E! News, so I have caught wind that the most recent Bachelor is a farmer, nicknamed “Prince Farming,” and that last night was the finale.

Much of pop culture has been a-buzz wondering if any of these ladies vying for the country boy’s heart could actually handle life in the country.

The same thing was questioned (And, I am sure, sometimes is still questioned…) about me.

Not that I have been on The Bachelor, but I have watched it (… And I lived in a sorority), I feel pretty confident that if these gals could handle their 15 seconds of fame on The Bachelor, they can handle the country. In fact, it might not even be that different.

It Will Be Dirty

Ewwwahhh. Not like that dirty.

(Well, who knows?! But, this blog has never been the place for Hanky-Panky and I am not starting today… ;))

It will be the kind of dirty that actually comes from dirt.

I have considered getting on Etsy and shopping for a sign for my garage more than once that says, “Drop Your Pants Here.”

Between working on farms, walking through corn fields, rebuilding cars, hunting birds, trapping coyotes, wading in the creek, tilling the garden, tending to chickens and whatever else muddy that Adam seems to get into daily, my life is very dirty.

Even my oh-so trendy Hunter Boots have been converted to muck boots thanks to the amount of chicken poop they have been in contact with. Which, I am sure, the pretentious sales guy at Nordy’s totally had in mind when he sold them to me a year ago.

It Might Be Hard to Make Friends

This has been the hardest thing for me. I have not suffered from drunken cat fights… phew! But instead, I am a bit of an “odd ball” out in the country.

Many people around us don’t understand why Adam and I have not had a baby. Or assume that just because we have not had one yet that we just don’t want one… ever. (Not true.)

Or, they question why “all that travel for work” is something I enjoy.

Or, look at me like I have three heads when I tell them my high school class had over 500 people. The school didn’t offer 4-H and, because of the extreme diversity and tensions after 9/11, saying The Pledge of Allegiance was optional. (Note: Only those who slept through homeroom didn’t participate.)

However, if you do connect with a new girlfriend, they are like gold. (And you know who you are.)

Everyday Will be an Adventure

It may not be zip lining through a rain forest or climbing a glacier, but those who think the country is slow and laid back are only about 20% right.

Yes, there are plenty of peaceful evenings, but there is also always so much to do!

The garden and animals need daily attention and there always is some new ailment or predator to deal with.

Hot summer days mean floating down the creek that runs across the street and mega canning marathons. Fall is for building big bonfires and riding in combines. During the winter you can snowmobile through the streets and learn good survival skills as you sometimes can’t leave the house for days. Talk about an adventure!

It’s All About The Outfit

If we are being totally honest here, what I always liked the most about The Bachelor and The Bachelorette was the clothes. It’s a little ridiculous how many time I Googled trying to find where Emily Maynord’s top/sandels/jewelery/etc. came from.

Spoiler alert: A lot of the time it was Forever 21.

But, like the Bachelor, you need an outfit for every occasion when living in the country.

(Chic) Muck Boots for chicken chores. Something that makes wearing hunter orange a little more tolerable. Good aprons for canning. Sun protecting hats for summer gardening. And a huge collection of warm pieces for winter winds on the flat lands.

You Will Fall Further In Love In Paradise

I like to call my backyard “a little piece of paradise.”

Sure, it’s not an island with tropical flowers, palm trees, or the sounds of crashing waves. But, it’s perfectly peaceful. It’s lush in the summer and simply beautiful with snow. The setting sun often looks like it is a part of a water color painting as you watch it dip down along the curve of the earth.

And with the right guy, like my guy, you can’t help but fall a little more in love.