Three Lessons Rural Life Taught Me
How seven days in a remote village helped me realize what’s important in life
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved the convenience of her home, the bustling sounds of the city and all those fantastic computer games she could play on her X-BOX.
However, out of the blue, there came a summer when she was sent to spend her holidays in a faraway village, in the highlands of Greece. The girl was spending her days and nights by doing lots of fun things, different things which she didn’t have the chance to do at home, where she had to go to school every day and learn how to keep up with the city’s fast pace.
She learned to have fun away from the concrete buildings, away from her favorite console, away from her, until then, comfort zone.
Unfortunately, that summer came to an end but there were many more summers to come and the little girl, who once wasn’t a fan of rural life, was now looking forward to spending her holidays in that mountainous village.
So, what happened in the meantime and that place talked to her heart?
The rural life
This ‘magical’ village I’m talking about has a name of course. However, it’s not important — the world is full of ‘magical’ villages, dear to each one of us.
Imagine a place built in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains and dense nature. To reach it, you need to drive on steep rocky roads, full of twists and turns. Once you get there, you’ll be welcomed by both the tranquillity and wilderness of the place; a couple of still inhabited houses by the road, on the edge of a rift valley.
The once entirely inhabited village is now deserted and only the elders’ stories keep the area alive.
The heart of a child
As I’m writing these lines, valuable memories come alive in front of my eyes, and moments that I hold dear come back to me.
I can clearly see the stone-built white house with the auburn roof; I can smell the aromas bursting out of the kitchen window, as my grandmother cooks her specialties; I can see the enormous fig tree in the middle of our garden.
I’m almost hearing the happy children’s voices, which belong to my brothers and me, while we’re building our den under the fig tree.
I’m running around the fertile, full of fruits and vegetables, garden and I’m watching my grandfather doing the gardening; I’m holding a book in my hands, lying down in our den and forgetting the outside world.
In that forgotten place, with nothing and at the same time so many things to do, I feel at ease.
I feel at home.
Moments lived, lessons learned
Spending my summer days and nights in that faraway place made me think of the precious things in my life.
People are valuable and irreplaceable.
By spending time with my family away from the fast pace of the buzzing city, I felt more connected with them. I had fun with my brothers, working together to build our den; I learned a lot from my grandparents, who wanted to transfer their knowledge to us and shared stories of their childhood in the village. I felt closer to them.
By living our busy lives in the city, it’s easy to focus on our daily routine and let go. Relationships have become more impersonal than ever before; relationships that we so need in our lives. We even prefer doing our groceries at the big supermarket rather than visiting our local vendors, to avoid interaction and small talk which will waste our precious time.
The worst part is, running around all day non-stop, we forget about things that matter to us, especially people.
When was the last time you really listened to your friend’s worries without checking your watch?
When was the last time you spent time with your loved ones, did something fun together or even did nothing and enjoyed each other’s company?
For better or for worse, we live and work in a society that pays more attention to productivity and time rather than human relationships.
But we can change this.
We can actually live without social media.
Yes, you read that right. We can live without Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And we can live happily and still have things to fill our day. Our parents could, our grandparents could. So, why not us?
I’m sure you’ve heard a million times that you should shut your accounts forever. I’m not going to tell you what to do; you’re an adult and you know what is right for you and what’s not. Here I share my own experience about being away from the internet and social media, even for just a week.
By now you might remember that my village is in a faraway place, surrounded by mountains. With the ’90s and 00’s technology, this meant that the internet connection was unstable. The feeling of not being able to use my phone, apart from making calls and exchanging messages, was scary at the beginning, however, exciting along the way.
One week in that rural place helped me think and realize how my life would be without checking my phone all the time; how it would be without posting on social media what I’m up to.
During those happy days, I managed to dedicate and spend valuable time with my loved ones without any digital distractions. It helped me appreciate simple things in life.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t deny that technology and the internet have led humanity forward. Everything we want to find out is just a click away; we are now able to work remotely; the internet connects us with people in our lives, even if we live miles apart from each other.
So, what’s wrong about it?
Maybe there is nothing wrong about it but there’s something wrong about the way we use it. I don’t know about you but I believe we should do everything in moderation.
So, next time you have some free time don’t stay at home to play with your phone. What if you go out and have some dinner with a friend without constantly checking your phone or posting your dinner on social media?
Just offer your attention to your friend and enjoy the moment.
The connection with nature reveals our real self.
I still remember the days when I, as a child, was having my shower at the back garden of my grandmother’s house in the village.
The house was old and we didn’t have the luxury of a well-equipped bathroom in the house. As a result, we were showering outside. My grandmother had created a divider from tablecloths to separate the ‘shower place’ from the rest of the garden. When it was time for our shower, she was pouring water from a big bowl which she had first warmed up in a saucepan.
I remember taking strolls into the forest, up to the water stream, to gather water into my big milk bottle and bring it back to my grandmother. It was the best drinking water!
I remember waking up early in the morning by the clanging bells of a dozen goats, feeding on our grass. I remember falling asleep by the rustling leaves and the soothing sounds of cicadas at night, feeling happy and protected.
I was roaming the roads to gather blackberries and chestnuts.
Late at night, I was gazing at the stars, able to distinguish the impressive ancient formations.
I felt, deep inside, connected with nature. I was falling asleep by its sounds, I was living by its products. I was utterly calm and at peace.
Now, hold on a second. I don’t suggest having a shower at the back of your house or going around the city to gather fruits from the trees. I don’t even suggest you give up everything you’ve created in the city, your house, your job, and move to a rural place (although it sounds like a tempting idea to me).
There is an easier way: spend a couple of days near nature, allowing yourself to be lost in a cottage in the countryside or to hike on a mountain, or, if you don’t have the luxury to go anywhere, just lie down and hear the birds singing in the park.
Walk in bloomed forests, smell the aromas of the flowers, drink water directly from the stream, listen to the songs of creatures of nature.
Be part of it all.
Something to take home
We are humans. We love the simple things in life: the warmth of a touch, the deep conversations with a loved one, the smell of our favorite food. We need to be surrounded by people, spend time with them in the real world, and live in unison with our home, nature.
The feeling is liberating.
If you enjoyed this piece, you might also like my article, How to enjoy life before it’s too late.