Go live in the village

I have a dream. To leave the city (I live in Dnepropetrovsk) to the village for permanent residence. Friends of all, I’ve probably already bothered with this topic, although there are comrades who share this idea Decided to share with the online community, and maybe find like-minded people. I will be glad to criticism, suggestions, advice.

What does not suit in the city

ecology. Dnepropetrovsk is an ecological disaster zone.
life in a concrete box. We pay a loan for a one-room apartment a lot of money, I will not take a two-room apartment at current prices on pain of an electric chair.
garbage on the streets and in the stairwell. I will restore order in their own area.
the absence of those little joys that I think are more accessible in a private house and in the countryside. About them further.

Downshifting - an important component

In general, to go to the village is not even the primary goal. Probably the most important thing is to enjoy life. I plan to work 4 hours a day, maybe less. And maybe more, if there is a desire. I made a choice not in favor of a career. He was a co-founder and technical director of an IT company that employed up to 10 people. Not bad, I think, earned. But this work was not my joy, very nervous, a lot of responsibility. I realized that this is “not mine”. Now I am working on the same company as a simple programmer. I work at home, and still not enough freedom. I go out onto the balcony, I look at the good weather, but I can't walk, the work and the customers don't let go. I am preparing a base for a full transition to freelancing, and I hope to finally be a free person in the coming month

Space requirements

the place should be clean, so far I think about the Poltava region
near the river
near a small town or district center (school, hospital, shopping)
There must be some kind of enterprise in the village so that the residents have a job. In this case, the probability of total drunkenness of residents, and a higher standard of living, is less. Those. I'm not a village should not be “downtrodden” and depressed.
school is very desirable (the child is growing up). But in principle, I agree to take it to the city by car (no car yet

Livelihood

remote work. I am a programmer, the experience is remote. If you work 4 hours a day, at $ 10 / hour (this is real), for $ 20 days a month you get $ 800. I think that's enough for life. Familiar few years living in a village near Kiev, a husband, a wife and two children - I asked, they say, $ 500 is enough. Not that they are indigenous villagers - the husband works in Kiev, the wife also lived in Kiev before. And they have more income, but they repay and therefore they have calculated enough for themselves to live on.
I work on a constant source of income that will bring in money practically without my participation
There is hardly any work for my wife. But if she wishes, she can also work remotely. HTML coder for example or content manager.
renting an apartment. A couple of hundred bucks on the road is not lying.

the Internet

I will not give exact prices, but renting a satellite dish that works both ways costs about $ 100 a month. Buy, it turns out more expensive, something about 1-2 kilobaksov. This is just the price order.
perhaps mobile internet (peoplenet, mtc,?). Not the fact that there will be a covering
ordinary plate + GPRS
ordinary phone, maybe it will be a ball
advise your option

Household?

Many, as they hear about the village, say: "Yes, why do you need it, you will live in the mud, pigs, dung and all that."
I explain. I am not going to become a farmer in the near future, cultivate hectares of land and plant a bunch of pigs and cows. There is no such desire. There are simpler options:

chickens. Do not require special care. Fresh meat and eggs.
ducks (if there is a pond or river). Knowledgeable people say there are few problems with ducks too.
goats, maybe. One or two, and probably not in the first year. Meat and milk, less problems than with a cow.
meat, lard and milk can be bought from fellow villagers. All the same, after all, dealers in the villages buy up products and sell in the city.
Agriculture. Garden, garden. I will do this because I just like it. In childhood I worked in the parent garden, so I have an idea. But again - without fanaticism. There is no desire to bend back all summer, weeding 6 acres of potatoes But planting a hundred potatoes and having fresh ones all the time from the garden is yes. Tomatoes, cucumbers and all that. In general, I will be engaged for myself. Like the Roman emperor (Diocletian?) Who boasted grown cabbage

Nutrition

cleaner and more environmentally friendly than in the city
in the summer from your garden
trips to the city for shopping. Once a week for 2 car. Is quite real.
village shop. The choice is small, but you will not die of hunger.
buy meat / milk from fellow villagers
your chickens / ducks (?)

Problems

drunkenness in the village. The village must be chosen so that the residents have a job.
drug addicts. Here, in Dnepropetrovsk, if you go down the stairs, three bulbulators can immediately be counted. Generally, the problem of course. But in the city, too, no one from this is not fenced and insured. We will bring up the child. Let's buy a gun and get a wolfhound to protect the territory
assimilation. Our and the child. Still, we are not rural people, and in the village of the other people, I think so. Although I hope that good people more than bad
household chores. This can be a problem, as I am lazy and inept in this regard. I will be corrected. Again, it is not necessary to do everything yourself, for example, to dig a well or change the roof. But again, no one forbids if desired. Maybe we decide to build - it is even interesting to learn.
education for the child. Not sure what the problem is. Lomonosov wanted to study, he came to Moscow on foot. Shevchenko also grew up in the village. A comrade lived in a village, studied in a city, now works in Malta as a programmer (hi, Hansik, is it nothing that I share you with Lomonosov and Shevchenko, then?
boredom. I will not be bored. Baby too. I hope that the wife too. The decision was of course taken together about the move.
what else problems scare me

Fun and fun

Gathered a list of those "little joys", which I mentioned above. Everybody has his own list naturally.
work not in a dusty office, but in a garden under an apple tree. BUT? Or arrange a study in the attic. Put the server with Wi-Fi, and move with the laptop to the place where it is convenient.
Books, movies, TV, music, has not been canceled. In theaters and night clubs I am not a walker. If desired, you can travel to the city, to unwind.
fishing, hunting (?)
bird feeders in winter
pick nuts for the winter make pickles
plant a tree in the yard, dress it up for the new year
make a beautiful courtyard, like in the movie “Kill Bill”
pottery
grow spices and make the mix yourself. basil, dill, cumin, etc.
to make a mixture for tea: linden, currant, raspberry, ...
grow mushrooms (mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, ...)
ride the whole family on bicycles
dovecote
long dreamed of having a dog
kebab / barbecue outside
blog about how a programmer lives in a village
quotes from the forum on gorod.dp.ua - thanks to the author, did not write down his name

“About the fireplace. Have your home and not have a fireplace ??? This is nonsense. Fireplace ... Long winter evenings ... How nice to sit in a chair near the fireplace, stretch your legs, put a laptop on your knees and read messages from the forum. ”
“... my dad's dream is a wooden house in the wilderness, a rocking chair, a checkered rug, books ... and no one around, except for my family ..."

Who is with me?

That hero Seriously, we would be very happy if someone makes us a company. Together more fun and easier. Help and mutual assistance. I noticed such moods in people. On gorod.dp.ua/forum/ several people (hello to you) expressed a similar desire. With Hansikom (now in Malta) we drank a lot of beer, discussing this idea. I hope that nothing will change and he will join as he arrives.
We have planned (God forbid) to do the move in the spring of 2009.