Country Life: The Ultimate Multitasking
I don’t think there is any other activity that involves as many trades as living in the countryside. To live in the country and make a decent living with reasonable investments, you have to become many things, one after the other.
First, you become a real estate agent: you have to know which plot of land or which house to buy. Then you are a builder: you build your house, your barn, your stable. You learn about natural construction. You become an engineer because you have to design them.
An plumber, because you need water in the house, in the garden, and for the animals. You need to know where to get it from, in what quantity, how much to invest in the water source, and if it’s drinkable.
You must also be a gardener: knowing plant diseases, tomato varieties, what soil carrots need, and how far apart to plant walnut trees. To be a good, sustainable gardener, you inevitably end up with animals. That’s when you also become a veterinarian: you know which goat breed to choose, what diseases chickens can get, and which breeds are hardy yet productive so the household can function.
You need machinery, and machinery breaks down. So, you become a mechanic and a driver. To be sustainable, you need solar power, so you become an electrician and an electronics technician against your will. You have to know how much each appliance consumes and run the numbers: how many panels you need, what batteries, which controller, which inverter.
Autumn arrives. You prepare the tomato juice and the pickles. You cook, so you become a chef. You learn the role of brine and how it should be made. You get ready for winter: you cut wood with a chainsaw—another trade. You have to know what wood to use, from which part of the tree, where to store it, how long to dry it, and how to stack it.
You have a stove, so you become a stove-maker. You need to know how many rooms you’re heating, how many fireboxes are needed, what height the chimney should be, and the diameter of the hearth. Since you’re already lighting a fire, you might as well have an oven: to bake bread, but also to make hot water for the shower. You install a copper coil, but then you realize you also need a pump, a boiler, a safety group, and a thermostat. Once again, you become a plumber and an electronics technician.
To be able to do all these things, you think about starting a family. You look for a girlfriend. Then you have to be presentable, pleasant, and bold. Then you become a father. You have to provide a good education for your child, so you become an educator. You read, you learn, you try to be a good husband. You listen to what the lady says to keep peace in the house.
At some point, you hit rock bottom. You run out of money and realize that, after all this experience, you haven’t gained anything concrete. You get a job. But what is your trade? You know them all, but none of them well enough. You take whatever job comes your way for a small salary, and at the end of the month, you’re left with no money, no time, just disappointment and taxes to pay.
You give up on that too and say: "That’s it, I’m doing something in the country."
Then you become a programmer, video editor, photographer, screenwriter, actor, YouTuber, TikToker, and marketer. You learn the algorithms of every platform: when to post, what to post, and about what. What camera to use, what laptop, what software. You build a website so people see something professional. Then you start a blog. You write articles. Because, well...
Life in the country is beautiful, peaceful, and hassle-free. You’re in nature. What do you care?
Despite all of this, I prefer country life a thousand times over, no matter how complicated it gets. This is where I found my purpose and my peace; it’s where I grew, educated myself, and took responsibility to build the life I always wanted.
