I have been living in the countryside for seven years now. I've been working full remotely as an engineer for just under six years now. Today, I would like to note down what I have felt during that time.
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Recently, I went with my wife and children to dig for potatoes nearby. There are fields and woods less than a kilometre from our house, We can catch insects and find beetles. I am grateful to have such an environment close by.
Originally I lived in Tokyo. There was a time when I was surrounded by buildings and all I did was work. It was convenient then, but I don't think I had the luxury I have now. When I woke up in the morning and looked outside, the sky was small. When I talked to people, most of the topics of conversation were about work.
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When you are in the city, your relationships are inevitably work-oriented. You are only involved with people within a limited scope, such as your company or business partners. On the other hand, there is little contact with nature.
But since coming to the countryside, I have been more involved with the local community. This is especially true after Corona, I started to participate in things like neighbourhood and community events. I started to take part in local events like neighbourhood socialising. Digging for potatoes, mowing the grass, helping at festivals and so on. In this way, even through small conversations I started to get to know more and more people.
You can connect with people online, but, Social networking connections are somewhat thin. People tend to show only the good parts of themselves to each other, It is difficult to have a relationship where you can show your true feelings and failures. In the countryside, you can talk without being too tense. There's no strange tension, There is no problem to show your true self. It is possible to have relationships with people with that kind of distance, I think it makes a big difference.
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When you live surrounded by nature, there is a slight change in the way we think and work. Of course, just because you are in nature It doesn't mean that you can make better products or anything like that. It just means that my life as a whole is calmer. I have more time with my family, I don't try to force myself to pack anything in.
As a result, I feel my work efficiency has improved. I can switch on and off naturally, When I work, I can concentrate, and when I rest, I can rest properly.
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It's been seven years since I moved to the countryside, So far I have no regrets at all. I like the convenience of the city, I think this environment is better suited to me. My children can play outside, There are many seasonal events.
Remote working is becoming more and more the norm for engineers. If you can change your environment, I think it's not a bad idea to try this way of living once in a while. I think it's not a bad idea.