Cooperland

I’ve never lived in a town. I know, it’s weird, but it’s true, and I like it. I love the city; I really do, but at the end of each day it is comforting to know that all of the hustle and bustle of the city is long gone; far away while I listen to the sounds of nature. It’s really awesome.  Here are my reasons why.

1. Privacy

   Let me give you an idea of the privacy I’m talking about. My closest neighbor is through 300 yards of woods. In fact, my entire home is surrounded by trees. I can do anything I want in my home or in my yard and no one will see it unless they sneak up on me. And I like it that way.

   There are no home owners associations. If anyone tried to establish one, they’d be hunted and shot (I’m joking, but not really).

   Long story short, people are given their space.

2. Yard sizes

   My yard is 3/4 acres with another 1 1/2 acres in a field behind my house. My brother’s yard is 1 1/2 acres. My parents’ yard is 3 acres. The point is that yards are a lot bigger so there’s more room to do stuff, and to let the kids run around. I can’t count how many backyard baseball and football games we played on Sunday afternoons and during family dinners.

   And that doesn’t even count the woods. My parents own approximately 30 acres total, and I think my brother, my friends, and I covered every inch of those acres, including the woods. That was the best part. The best game ever was playing hide-and-go seek in the dark in the woods. Sure, we had flashlights, but it was, shall I say, AWESOME!

3. The water bill

   Can you say $0.00? Because that’s how much I pay for water each month. Cool, huh?

   In the country, each home must be hooked up to a water well with a pump to receive water. It’s expensive at first with the cost of hiring a company to drill for a water well and hook up a pump. It set me back over $2,000 when mine was installed, but in the long haul, I save a ton of money with not having a monthly water bill.

   The only difference between city water and well water is that well water comes straight from the ground only slightly filtered. So, a water filtration system on the kitchen faucet doesn’t hurt.

4. Travel time measurements

   Typical travel measurements in the U.S. are in miles. Simple enough, right? Wrong. Not for the country. Sure, we measure in feet, yards, and miles, but when we’re travelling, then measurements are in minutes and hours.

   For instance, a trip from Bonneau to Moncks Corner is 10 minutes. From Moncks Corner to downtown Charleston is 45 minutes. This is how we time our day. If I have to visit someone in a hospital in downtown Charleston, it takes me 1 hour to get there. So I know it’ll take 2 hours round trip. Thus, I know about how long I’ll be gone. That way I can plan things at a later time.

5. Close community

   Sure, we’re close in the sense that everyone knows your business, but more in the sense that whenever you need a friend, then one is available. I see it all of the time.

   My family is never far away. My friends are never too far that one cry won’t bring them running. Although people in the country live farther away than people in the city, they couldn’t be closer.

   And that’s the greatest reason why I love living in the country.