Country House

My sister-in-law to be (I'd just say sister-in-law because she is definitely family despite the lack of paperwork, but I don't want any breathless e-mails asking when Shoes and I got hitched) and her family are soon moving from the bustle of Jo'burg to the country life in Creighton, Pietermaritzburg. Creighton is about 2 hours outside of Durban, and is basically a farming community with acres and acres of space and not much else. The primary school that Flea will be attending is 30km away, and T will be taking a job effectively running the farm, leaving BlackVelvet to find something to do that keeps her busy and happy. She's suggested milking cows, but I have a feeling she'll require a little more stimulation. She is giving up her career in finance administration for what right now amounts to nothing career-wise.

Their reason for moving is two-fold. T's family all live in Creighton, so they can raise Flea close to her cousins and in what is perhaps the most idyllic setting for a kid to grow up in. Secondly, what T will be earning, including benefits such as a company car and house, is more than what their combined salaries were in Jozi.

Velvet admitted the decision wasn't easy, but in the end there were too many positives to turn down the chance. She feels this is the best thing for her family, and for herself as well. Of course, her work colleagues are flummoxed. They can't understand why she would turn down a city life in Jozi, with all its entertainment, opportunity and, let's be honest, material things, to live a quiet (read: boring) life in a backwater town.

Velvet listed the things about Jozi that she hates and will never miss, including the horrendous traffic jams, the continuous scrambling up the career ladder only to be overworked and underpaid, and the general shiteousness that is Jo'burg. Let's face it, it's not a pretty or idyllic city.

But on the other hand, she will be living in a small community made almost of entirely of family. She'll rarely see her friends, she won't have a sense of career-self, at least for the time being, and yes, she might end up getting a little bored.

It got me thinking about city vs country life. I guess if you've grown up knowing only city life, a move such as this would be like a death sentence. Perhaps a city person can't imagine how one can ever be satisfied with less. Less choice, less options of where to go and what to do, less drama and less stuff. Maybe being from Cape Town, Velvet appreciates it a bit more, as in CT you can have the best of both worlds, to a degree. The city life is there if you want it, but you can also get away from it all in the surrounding mountains and forests. Also, chilling is just not a Jozi passtime, while Durbanites and Capetonians basically live for it.

I personally think that Velvet has made a very brave decision, but a good one. I know she'll be happier for it, and it's the right move for her family.

The question is, could I do the same?

What would you do?