Social isolation.
After 15 years of having a lifestyle of beginning very socially active... full time rving will do that to you... the past year has been quite the adjustment. Complete opposites going from a very high level of social interaction to living out in the country. Farm country where the nearest town, 10 miles away, although very friendly, is quite small and offers little in the way of attractions besides a few country museums and the town national cemetery. But we have been to a couple of middle school & high school choir events. As for the actual home setting, things are spread out, and social interaction is generally limited to going into town to shop. It started out as geographic location isolation. And though we enjoy the quiet peaceful setting of country life, and the beauty of nature... farm country, and the mountains... it's changing our mental out look from missing social interaction to actually wanting to avoid social interaction. Becoming socially introverted. So the physical change has now become a mental change. Not sure if this is good or not. Kinda slipping into the habit of staying home verses going out to social events... not that there's much to actually do nearby. Any major towns are 45 minutes away in any direction. Beyond that it's Washington DC, Richmond, or Baltimore... 1 1/2 to 2 hours away.
Still, social isolation is an emotional let down.
Other sources of keeping in touch with others like Facebook is deteriorating quickly as more and more people drop out, don't post, don't comment, or live a life of hitting the" share" button 20-30 times a day.
Hearing of friends that have passed away or have severe health issues only adds to the increasing feeling of isolation, since they are also socially isolated.
Such is life isolated in the country. My solace is the beauty of nature. The peace & quiet. Wildlife watching. And simply enjoying blue skies and a gentle breeze, sitting in the porch swing taking it all in... becoming less & less active.
Quite the change from Disney and other nearby attractions, and areas that offer lots of tourist attractions & events. But there are the great memories of times, places, and people that made full time thing an adventure.
Oh look, there's a squirrel... see what I mean?
After 15 years of having a lifestyle of beginning very socially active... full time rving will do that to you... the past year has been quite the adjustment. Complete opposites going from a very high level of social interaction to living out in the country. Farm country where the nearest town, 10 miles away, although very friendly, is quite small and offers little in the way of attractions besides a few country museums and the town national cemetery. But we have been to a couple of middle school & high school choir events. As for the actual home setting, things are spread out, and social interaction is generally limited to going into town to shop. It started out as geographic location isolation. And though we enjoy the quiet peaceful setting of country life, and the beauty of nature... farm country, and the mountains... it's changing our mental out look from missing social interaction to actually wanting to avoid social interaction. Becoming socially introverted. So the physical change has now become a mental change. Not sure if this is good or not. Kinda slipping into the habit of staying home verses going out to social events... not that there's much to actually do nearby. Any major towns are 45 minutes away in any direction. Beyond that it's Washington DC, Richmond, or Baltimore... 1 1/2 to 2 hours away.
Still, social isolation is an emotional let down.
Other sources of keeping in touch with others like Facebook is deteriorating quickly as more and more people drop out, don't post, don't comment, or live a life of hitting the" share" button 20-30 times a day.
Hearing of friends that have passed away or have severe health issues only adds to the increasing feeling of isolation, since they are also socially isolated.
Such is life isolated in the country. My solace is the beauty of nature. The peace & quiet. Wildlife watching. And simply enjoying blue skies and a gentle breeze, sitting in the porch swing taking it all in... becoming less & less active.
Quite the change from Disney and other nearby attractions, and areas that offer lots of tourist attractions & events. But there are the great memories of times, places, and people that made full time thing an adventure.
Oh look, there's a squirrel... see what I mean?
