Top 10 Tuesdays : Movin' to the Mountains

Some of my friends have brought to my attention that many of my posts are either paid or product reviews. I rarely have time to just write for myself and about my family. When I first started blogging, I stole a friend's idea and wrote random thoughts in the form of top 10s on Tuesdays, so I thought I'd get back to basics and do something I haven't done in almost a year.

We are in the process of moving right now and that is really all I have on the brain. We left our little home 30 miles south of here for life in the secluded mountains. We have an amazing cabin nowhere near anything and I love it, though there are some things with which I was not formerly acquainted and these things will definitely take some time to get used to! My top 10 list today is:

Top 10 Things I've Learned About Leaving Civilization & Becoming a Mountain Mama

10. There is no such thing as a clean car. Living on an unpaved road means dust and dirt each and every time we drive. If we were to even think about going to our local car wash, Squiggles, the car would be dirty before we even made it home. 

9. I must relearn to drive. For someone who is used to interstates and driving at least 10 miles over the speed limit at any given time, driving in the mountains requires much more precision... at slower speeds. The speed limit on our road is a whopping 15 MPH. Apparently there are certain ways one must drive on gravel, too. Who knew?

8. You may get eaten alive after 5pm. If you dare leave the cabin any time after 5pm, you risk getting eaten by mosquitoes, chiggers, or any other bugs that may cross your path. We have found scorpions in the cabin, too. Eck! 

7. Picking services and utility companies is much easier. Why? You only have one choice. Yup, our local company, ETC, provides the ONLY internet and phone services in the area. Cable? There is no cable here, only DirecTV. 

6. Gas gets expensive. If I wanted to go to town every day, I'd be paying a huuuge amount for gas. Considering we drive 30 minutes to and from town, the mileage adds up very, very quickly. 

5. Yard birds? I saw chickens running around in the road one day and said to my husband, "Oh look, there are free range chickens here". He replied,"They don't call them that here. Just call them 'yard birds'". LOL!

4. Trash is the dumps. No trash service out here. All garbage cannot be left outside, which means awful smelly diapers inside. Trash bags must be hauled to the dump at $1 a bag!! I have a feeling the amount of garbage we usually have is going to decrease greatly. Now if I can get Liam to participate with the dirty diapers, we'd be good to go! 

3. Stairs and more stairs means exploration for kids... and more work for me! This cabin is 3 levels, which means the kids can't sit still. I've been chasing them from level to level for days now. Talk about a workout. 

2. Out of town visitors! Now that we are in a vacation area, everyone wants to come for the weekend. This is definitely a welcomed part of the move, though I know for some this could be utter hell. LOL! 

1. Apples galore! Here in Ellijay there are tons of apple houses. This means freshly picked apples, peaches and other produce. It also means yummy baked goods like apple fritters and donuts. I'm in heaven. Plus, in the fall, there is actually an Apple Festival! I can't wait to take the boys on hay rides and to pick their own apples. 

We love it here! Josiah has told me every single day how much he loves his new house. I think the hubs is a little surprised I like living out here, so far away from everything, but I really love it! I remember getting so excited as a kid when we'd go up to the mountains for a day or a weekend. Now I can have that all the time. It's like a vacation every day!