Is Rural Living a Hobby?

[beowulf]

A while back a friend from the city came to visit. As we sat enjoying the bucolic setting with an adult beverage, he said “Man, I could really go for this”. I pointed out that, well, this is half of it, but if you want this lifestyle there is also the work half – you need to enjoy that part as well. He went on to discuss his hobby of collecting stuff with his metal detector. Then he asked if I had any hobbies. I thought for a very brief moment and then told him “You’re looking at it”.

Anyway, this made me realize that living rurally, having never ending projects, caring for animals, tractor tasks with seat time, figuring out solutions to unexpected events, repairing and maintaining things, and such, was in fact my hobby. And, as a hobby, it is a pretty good one – keeps you mentally and physically active, a lot of satisfaction, enjoyable, you are outside and not watching TV, you are doing things together with the family, and though you are spending money on things, you are likely increasing the value of your property by constantly improving it. Overall, maybe the best of hobbies. I need no other.

 

[Diggin It]

Hobby stuff is play time.

Living rural is a full time job requiring a lot of planning.

 

[MossRoad]

I never found maintaining our place to be a chore. I enjoy it.

 

[civilian]

Hobby stuff is play time.

Living rural is a full time job requiring a lot of planning.

I have fun playing on my tractor, even if it is just mowing. I can have a workshop here at the rural home site, doing fun and necessary projects. Just received my new sawmill, so learning that is enjoying and provides wood for above projects. We don't miss our last home even it being on a lake. Grown kids miss that, but not wife and I. Jon

 

[SPYDERLK]

I call it rewarding, satisfying work. It can get spoiled if you have to hurry.

 

[East30]

It is my hobby. I only get to my acreage/tractor/pole barn and associated tasks/maintenance on weekends. That life has taught me many a life skill. Neighbors tell me all the time to relax a bit. I'm 100% relaxed doing all those things. I also do tractor work for the neighbors, take down trees for them and such. I'm 60 and they are 15 years my elder, and I enjoy all the work I do for them. Blessed with great people around me there. They keep an eye on my properties while I'm not there. I take no payment but have been donated now a nice drag, box blade, and countless cocktails. I love the rural life and plant to make it full time in 6 to 7 years.

 

[Ferpen]

Last week I had to use my tractor to pull a contractor's truck and trailer (each separately) out of the mud and out to the road. After we reattached and reloaded the equipment on the trailer he apologized for the trouble. My exact words were "That was fun, let's do it again!"

I enjoy each minute I'm at our rural property doing jobs and chores. Maybe I'll feel different once we move out there, but I don't think so.

 

[beowulf]

Living rural is a full time job requiring a lot of planning.

Diggin It, I can't disagree that it is a full time job and requires planning and more, but if you really enjoy the planning, and the work - it can be enjoyable and immensely satisfying. I just looked up a definiton for 'hobby' and found this: "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure".

So for me, rural living and all that goes with that, is done regularly in my leisure time and enjoyable, so, in that sense, at least in my circumstances, I would consider it a hobby.

 

[5030]

Not for us. We own a working farm.

 

[beowulf]

Not for us. We own a working farm.

That makes sense - a perfect distinction. Retiring to a rural property is quite different than working on that property for a livelihood.