City Girl in the Country
Having been raised in urban and heavily suburban areas where houses are shoulder to shoulder and streets signs are on every corner, I get lost easily in rural and wide-open places. I’m used to directions such as “turn left on Poplar Street, then make your fourth right onto Elm.” Directions like “drive north for three miles, then head west for six miles” are a foreign language to me. My Girl Scout badges included cooking, games, home health, and drama. No camping, farming, or gardening for me. I now live in New Hampshire, and despite moving here twenty years ago, I still tremble if I have to head somewhere I’ve never been.
Because of my experiences, I am in awe of the men and women who settled the West. The journey itself was harrowing, then they had to scrape out a living from the land. In the early days of westward expansion, “towns” were little more than one or two streets. I got a taste of the remoteness pioneers experienced when I went on a mission trip to work with a Lakota church in South Dakota about thirty years ago. We landed in Sioux Falls and drove for three hours past farm after farm, miles of sunflowers, corn and other produce. We saw few cars and even fewer homes. We then drove north for two hours with pretty much the same view.
In my most recent release, Beryl’s Bounty Hunter, Beryl is from Liverpool, England. Founded in 1207 with a charter from King John, by 1875 the city was a thriving seaport with a population of more than a half-million people. Seven miles of warehouses spread away from the docks. Railroads transported cotton and other goods, and clothing manufacturing and food processing industries grew exponentially. Because of the unsanitary conditions throughout the city, disease was common.
Beryl heads to Wyoming to become a mail-order bride, and the territory is unlike anything she’s ever experienced. The Rocky Mountains cover most of the western portion, and the eastern section is high-elevation prairie. Dry and windy, it is nothing like the briny seacoast of England. Home to more than one hundred mammal species and four hundred bird species, Wyoming wildlife includes bison, mountain lions, wolves, bald eagles, bears, elk, moose, pronghorn antelope, and wild horses. It takes her a while to get used to her new surroundings.
What about you? Are you a city girl or a country girl? Or perhaps something in between. Comment for your chance to win an ebook edition of Beryl’s Bounty Hunter.
Beryl’s Bounty Hunter
Can a thief and a lawman find happiness?
Orphaned as a child, Beryl Atherton has lived on the streets of London as long as she can remember. Reduced to stealing for survival, she is arrested. During her incarceration one of her cellmates shows her a newspaper ad for an American mail-order bride agency. But all is not as it seems, and moments after landing in Boston, she must run for her life. Will things be no different for her in the New World?
Working as a bounty hunter since The War Between the States, Lucas Wolf just needs a few more cases before he can hang up his gun, purchase a ranch out West, and apply for a mail-order bride from the Westward Home & Hearts Mail-Order Bride Agency. While staking out the docks in Boston, he sees a woman fleeing from the man he’s been tailing. Saving her risks his job. Not saving her risks his heart.
I am a city girl. Technically I was born in a town, but my parents moved us to Los Angeles and its suburbs when I was three, and I’ve lived in Orange County for nearly 40 years.
My grandparents all raised their families through the Depression and WW2, so all grew fruits and veggies in their back yards. Mom grew roses. I did not inherit their capacity to grow things.
I would not do well in the old west, but I do love to read stories set there.
That IS city! I didn’t inherit my grandfather’s/mom’s ability to grow things either. I even managed to kill a fake plant one time. Some of the leaves fell off. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Most of my life I lived in the city but for the last 9 years I’ve lived in the country. However I’d say I’m probably somewhere in between.
A good place to be! Thanks for stopping by.
I grew up (during the last half of my childhood) in a big city in Washington state and didn’t much care for it, although I do love the green and the mild climate; so when I got married and started to raise my own family, we moved to a more rural area. I now live in Wyoming, where the cities are relatively small! I love it here despite the extreme weather precisely because of the small populations of people & the wide open spaces!
My niece lives in Montana and loves it for the same reasons. Thanks for stopping by.
Suburban country girl.
Nice! Thanks for commenting.
Welcome! I was raised on a farm in northern part of Florida in the ‘60’s. Married in 1980 and moved to his family’s place in the country north in the same county. Then in 2002, my husband and I moved 50 miles away to another small town farther south but, only lived 3 miles away from it. What a treat! Less than 8 minutes to the grocery store! We live pretty close to neighbors on 2 acre lots. I’d call it country urban. We still have a dirt road in front of us, but only 30 yards to the hard road! Another treat! Not too much dust! Oh, I still consider myself a country girl though.
Thanks for dropping by! You can take me off the chance for the book. I put it in my queue to read soon! I have KindleUnlimited. I also love historical romance! Can’t wait to read Beryl’s story! Sounds good!
Thanks for putting Beryl in your queue! Sounds like you’re in a perfect location!
Hi Linda, nice to see you in another venue. I was raised in Concord, New Hampshire, which was technically a city but didn’t feel like it (and doesn’t feel like it now, sorry Capitol City). I’ve lived in downtown Boston and in a town in Wisconsin with 500 people, so I’ve experienced a range. I like the stimulation of a city, but could never do it full-time now, too many hassles.
Linda, I agree with you about the West. I’ve done five Western books and I’m constantly amazed that they go out, like Abraham, to a “place they knew not.” No paper maps, let alone Mapquest, let alone GPS. They are some of my heroes.
Kathy Bailey
Hello friend! I know what you mean about “Capitol City” not feeling like a city. I’ve done the Washington, DC thing, and I love my little “village.” Thanks for stopping by!
I’m a country girl. I like my space. I grew up in a small town of about 1000 people. You knew most everyone and they knew our dog even people we didn’t know. When walking everyone always said ‘hi’, even people who you didn’t know.
Space is good! I didn’t appreciate it until I was an adult. My goal as a high schooler was to get an important job in New York City and live in Manhattan. Now, I get annoyed if I have to go to Rochester which has 32K people. 🙂
I am a country girl and have no desire to drive, let alone live in any city or town! The grocery store is 1/2 hour away and same for most gas stations!
That is remote! Thanks for coming by to chat.
I am a country girl. I was grew up in the country but live in a small town now. I love the country and will always be a country girl no matter where I live. You just can’t take the country out of the girl.
I agree with you; there are certain things that are just embedded and that’s one of them!
I’m a country girl through and through. My dad raised cattle and we always had horses, dogs and chickens, and occasionally a pig. I still live on the same property where I was born and raised.
Wow! Because I was never exposed to animals, they’re a bit overwhelming to me. We didn’t even have a dog until I was a junior in high school.
I’m basically a country girl, born and bred. However, God has given me the flexibility to be at home wherever he plants me. I’ve lived in a city of nearly 2 million people for six months and several of over half a million for longer, and I enjoyed them all.
That is a gift to be able to be comfortable no matter where you live. God is good!
Country girl. I grew up on a non working farm and then had a few jobs in cities and lived in suburban areas (I enjoyed getting to know the neighbors) but came back home and married and live in the country again. I can survive in the city but I much prefer the county. I’m also directionally challenged so I love the GPS on my car.
GPS was the best thing ever invented!! I try to read maps, but definitely a challenge for me.
I grew up in the country but now live in the city. I still like to garden and rent a small raised garden bed near my house so that I can grow things. I loved both experiences in my life would not give up my childhood memories of living in the country.
I love that you are able to combine country with the city by renting a garden.
I’ve been a country girl all my life.
Nice to “meet” you. Thanks for coming by.
I’m somewhere in between! My city used to have a lot of orange groves and cattle, and now all of the groves are gone, and so are most of the cattle. It’s now all houses and businesses. I do like that I don’t have to drive 45 minutes to an hour to get to good shopping (the few times I want to go shopping) but I really miss all of the green space, cattle, and trees!
Things have changed in your neck of the woods! Convenience is nice, but I hear you about wanting the greenery and animals.
I grew up on our family farm between outside of a very tiny town of Hillsdale, Wyoming. I miss the farm life.
I don’t have to tell you that farming is hard work, but I’ll bet it was very satisfying. And Wyoming is gorgeous!
I’m a country girl. My grandparents planted a garden and in the summer I helped my grandma pick the vegetables and put them up by canning or freezing them.
A wonderful skill to have! When we helped clean out my grandfather’s house after my grandmother passed we found dozens of jars. We didn’t know how old they were, but they were still good.
I’m definitely a country girl all the way. 🙂 Congrats on the new book.
Thanks! You too. Can’t wait to read your story. 🙂
both
That’s great. You’re able to be comfortable no matter where you are.
Hi, Linda! I enjoyed reading your post and learning more about the historical differences between Liverpool and Wyoming. The differences would be a big shock to Beryl, I would think. I consider myself a small-town girl who grew up in a rural neighborhood. I’m definitely more of a country girl than city girl because I am not fond of the city. I prefer landmarks to be included in directions!
Hey Neighbor! I use landmarks too! They’re a huge help. I include them when I give directions too. 🙂
I’m a little bit of both, but probably overall I’m a country-small-town girl. I lived in the boonies of WV when I was a young girl & I LOVE it there to this day, but most of my life I’ve lived in small-town SWMO. I love our town of around 12,000. I love visiting big cities & driving through them, especially at night, but I’d never want to live in a big city. ?
The boonies of WV are beautiful. We lived in Loudoun County, VA and visiting WV all the time. Thanks for stopping by.
I grew up in the country, but it was daunting to me when given directions down south they tell you to take the first road out yonder, go a bit until you see this specific tree, red barn or maybe a large rock. {Everybody knows where that big rock is} This even happened to me in Knoxville, TN. I am a miles sort of girl. I grew up in Iowa where every distance between one road and the next was generally a mile. In town they were blocks. How easy is that?
Definitely. I attended college outside of Knoxville, and I well remember those “yonder” directions!
Definitely prefer the country. I don’t like the hectic pace of cities. Thank you for the chance to win a prize.
Too many people in those cities too! Thanks for stopping by.
welcome today. Oh but this books sounds wonderful. I now live in the suburbs of Chicago. I dislike going into Chicago with a passion. I will take the train if I have to go in. Which honestly is not often. I was born and raised in the Mojave Desert in CA, on a farm. We moved to Illinois onto about 8 acres when I was a sophomore in high school. talk about culture shock. Even now I am a country girl at heart. But I married a man born in Chicago and would not move without him (smile)
I’ve only been to Chicago once on business, very congested. Taking the train is a good way to do it. What we do for love! It’s why I’m in NH.
Totally a city girl! We went to Wyoming this summer (my brother lives there). Totally different than anywhere I’ve ever lived. The miles and miles of rough terrain and rock formations that come out of nowhere. Went to a museum located where the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, and the California Trail meet up and separate from each other in Casper, Wyoming. Glad to live in a more modern time!
I had that sort of experience when we visited Arizona. It gave me an appreciation for both the vastness of the US as well as the conveniences of urban/suburban life. Thanks for commenting!
I was born in the city, but I have a country girl’s heart. I have always wanted to live in the country, but have never been able to afford to do so. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Hi Debbie: I hope that someday you will realize your dream. Thanks for stopping by.
I’ve lived in the country my whole life. And I love mail-order bride stories!!
I love Mail-order bride stories too but cannot imagine being one! Thanks for commenting.
I grew up in a small town and the country. I have lived in the country, small towns, and big cities. I prefer the country, although health issues has made me not want to be too far out of town. I used to hike into the woods with no trails or a compass. I never got lost and always ended up where I had planned. I can still find my way around. On our trips, I am the one who gets out the maps and plans our routes. Side trips, etc. are usually done on a whim and we just “follow our nose.” I am more likely to get turned around in the city. It is hard to figure out where you are in relation to everything around you if you are not familiar with the streets.
You are like my husband. He grew up playing in the woods and is capable of finding his way anywhere. Thank you for sharing.