Hello everyone,
I’m newish to posting here, but I’ve been lurking for a while finally made up my mind to make an account and post something real, your stories keep me going on tough days. I’m 46, originally from Scotland (Glasgow area), and I moved to the States 13 years ago with big dreams of a simpler life. Husband at the time was American, so we packed up, landed in Missouri, and bought a small acreage to try proper homesteading. Thought it’d be all fresh air, growing our own veg, raising a few chickens, maybe even a wee goat someday. Sounded perfect, aye?
Fast forward Divorce hit 5 years in grown kids now scattered one in college, the other working far away, and here I am now in Ellisville, Mo. The homesteading part is coming along got my raised beds going strong with hugelkultur this year, composting like mad, and the solar setup finally paid off after a few expensive mistakes. But the reality? It’s harder than the books make out.
The biggest challenge isn’t the work though the heat here in summer is brutal compared to Scottish drizzle my tomatoes sulk like teenagers. It’s the quiet. Back home, even on a bad day, you’d have neighbors popping in for a cuppa, family a short drive away, or just folk chatting in the shops. Here? Everyone’s polite, waves from their trucks, but no one really stops. The isolation creeps in heavy nights especially, when the wind rattles the cabin and there’s no one to share a laugh or moan about the day with. Cultural bits still throw me I miss proper tea none of this iced nonsense, the banter, even the dreich (cold) weather sometimes. And starting over at my age? Feels like I’m always catching up finances tight after the split, doubts about whether I can keep this place going solo, wondering if I’m too set in my ways for new connections.
I’m not giving up the land’s bonnie in its own way, and growing my own food feels like a wee victory every time. But some days the loneliness hits like a ton of bricks, and I ken I’m not the only one feeling it. If you’re a homesteader who’s moved far from family, dealt with divorce or empty nest while trying to build self-sufficiency, or just feeling that empty-house ache how do you cope? Any tips for staying connected in rural USA, or beginner permie hacks for someone flying solo?
Thanks for listening. Grateful for this community it’s one of the few places that feels a bit like home.
Slàinte (cheers) from a Scottish lass still figuring it out.”
