Getting Away

Have you ever looked around your cramped apartment and thought about moving away from it all? Driven from your suburban lot to the towering office block and wondered where your morning has gone? Stepped outside into peak hour traffic and wished for clean air and a few trees? This book was written for those who are looking for more than their city life, those who are interested in moving away to the fresh air and wide-open spaces of the countryside. This can take many different forms - you may be looking for a small homestead in the mountains, a farming property in an agricultural region, a house in a small town. But all these dreams have a common desire, a wish for fewer people and more nature. But how do you go about taking the step, turning your dreams into reality? It's a big change and one which requires planning - you need to know what is ahead of you, both the good and the bad. That's where this book comes in. Easy to read and full of succinct advice, it gives you an overview of the main points which will come up before, during, and after your move to the countryside. With helpful hints to avoid the typical newbie mistakes, it's required reading for any who want to make the jump. Each chapter focuses on a separate part of the process:

- Part one focuses on whether you really want to move. We look at the major advantages and disadvantages of living in the countryside as compared to the city, and provide a handy checklist to help decide if you've got the right mentality in place.

- Part two looks at finding a new home. The perfect home is of course very dependent on what you want, but we offer a number of helpful tips on things which you should keep in mind.

- Part three covers getting used to your new home and avoiding the typical newcomer mistakes. This includes things such as understanding why the town should be enjoyed on its own merits or accepting that you won't immediately be the centre of the town life.

- Part four looks at making friends, how to make a good first impression, become more than just 'the newcomer', and how to give back to the region.

- Part five involves integration, the ways you should act and the local knowledge you should keep an eye out for in order to truly become part of the community.

- Part six is all about gossip, one of the top pastimes in any rural area. We look at a few sanity-saving measures to keep your private life out of the gossip network.

- Part seven is there to help you during that moment when you feel lonely or bored in your new life. We offer tips on widening your circle of friends, taking up new hobbies, or getting out of town and trying something new.

- The Appendix offers a handy checklist for those who are about to move homes. It won't make the move stress-free but it will certainly save you a few handfuls of hair. Still interested in escaping to the open fields and green forests? Then read on.