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On working SUPER remotely
A dispatch from the middle of nowhere
Kara Detwiller
October 24, 2024
Today’s edition of Wishful Working is a 4 minute read.
In 2019, I was living and working in Des Moines, Iowa, when I started talking to a guy who was living and working in rural Saskatchewan, Canada (about an hour north of Moose Jaw, if you fancy looking at a map). Long story short, we dated long distance for a year before finally meeting in person (thanks, Covid), and we got married in October 2021.
After our wedding in Iowa, I moved to his hometown, where we’ve been living (and working) for the last three years. Our little town (population 370ish), has a few amenities, including a library, post office, pharmacy, and grocery store. But it’s missing a lot of the things I was used to having nearby.
And, real talk, it was a hard transition.
More than once, I have shed tears of frustration over the fact that we can’t just pick up takeout or order DoorDash when we don’t feel like cooking. We have to plan meals and shopping trips a lot more intentionally. I can’t make a quick Target run or work from a cute coffee shop for the afternoon. 2-day shipping has become 7-day shipping, in most cases.
I’ve had people straight up tell me they can’t imagine living in this situation. Before I met Dawson, I would have never imagined it for myself.
But guess what? Not only have I gotten used to rural life — I’ve actually discovered a lot of hidden perks:
1. LCOL ➡️ Financial Freedom
The biggest and most obvious benefit is that the cost of living is low. Housing is cheap, and we spend very little on things like dining out, entertainment, and mindless shopping simply because it’s not available.
Additionally, we don’t have to set outrageous income goals because we just don’t need much to maintain our modest lifestyle. And as a freelancer with variable income, I don’t have to freak out when revenue dips for a few months.
2. Consumerism Detox
We have jokingly referred to rural living as a consumerism detox, but it’s actually true. With slower shipping times and less access to stores, I find I have become a more patient and conscious shopper. That is something I hope continues even if we live in a bigger city someday.
3. Slower Living
Sometimes the lack of things to do is a bummer and boring, but a lot of times it just feels like rest and calm. My nervous system feels regulated. I get to spend more of my time doing things I enjoy. I’m an introvert and a homebody, so it suits me well.
Even before Covid, there was a trend of people moving out of cities and into more suburban and rural areas, and I’m curious to see where things will trend in the future. With rising costs and the proliferation of remote work, I’m sure we’ll continue to see people reducing their expenses by moving to smaller towns in cheaper areas.
However, I’m not saying everyone who can work remotely should uproot their lives and move to the middle of nowhere. I know it’s not the right choice for everyone. And truly, you don’t have to move at all to live a simpler, slower life.
(But if you do want to live in the middle of nowhere, there’s a little house on my street for sale for $43k USD 😉.)
See you next week,
Kara
Wishful Working is inspired by my desire to see more people enjoy a life not centered around work. For some, the path to freedom and flexibility is through self-employment, but we also need to challenge cultural norms and champion healthier working conditions and work/life balance for all types of workers.