Rurally Screwed

It was Memorial Weekend one year ago when, with the help of my now husband and a few good friends, my belongings were loaded into a U-Haul trailer, I worked my last day in retail, said my goodbyes, and moved north.

Goodbye, Bozeman.
Hello, HiLine.

Goodbye, urban amenities.
Hello, rural seclusion.

There were many themes I readily identified with as I read the book Rurally Screwed, by Jessie Knadler. Rurally Screwed is a light, quick read, though it covers some pretty important topics. Especially, I think, for people like me who have made such a drastic lifestyle change in moving from city/town to country. Knadler actually grew up in Missoula, MT, but moved to New York City in her late teens, where she lived and worked for over a decade in the magazine industry.  She fell in love with a cowboy, and they settled in rural Virginia, where, together, they raise chickens and run a fencing business.  Knadler is also now a successful author and has a great blog: www.rurallyscrewed.com.

The storyline is familiar to me.  I grew up in a college town, Ames, IA-- very comparable to Bozeman or Missoula. I spent time in New York City (Ok, a summer internship is hardly a career, but its still a summer!) and had a study abroad summer in southern France.  Living where I do now was never on my radar.  In fact, throughout much of college, the guy I was dating dreamed of living in the country as a mixed animal vet.  That was one of the reasons our relationship didn't work out. I did NOT want to live in the country. No. Way. I can remember thinking the only way I would live in the country would be if I lived close to a larger town. Keep in mind, too, that in Iowa, you're never really more than ten miles away from the nearest town.  If anyone had told me five years ago I would meet and marry a farmer/rancher from northern Montana, move there, and live happily ever after, I would have laughed. Ha Ha. Great Joke!

Well, here I am. Guess some guys are good enough to change a girl's mind! I really connected with this book Rurally Screwed because some of the emotions and situations Knadler describes are so familiar. I had left everything familiar to me- my family, my town, my friends, my career, and started a completely new life with Jeff.  It's impossible not to occasionally question what in the world I have gotten myself into! It was great to read a book by a strong young woman who has gone through some of the very same things I find myself facing often.  Check out Rurally Screwed for an example of a person who has balanced it all with grace, and a little sass!