i wouldn't mind being a farmer housewife

this morning, i stumbled upon this article from the chicago tribune, "emily achenbaum: reporter turned 'farmer housewife'".

the article is actually a note from tribune reporter achenbaum, explaining her (admittedly crazy during this economy) plan to quit her job, move to the suburbs and simplify her life. i have to admit, this is something that i have dreamed of doing. pick up, move to the country, plant tomatoes and get a dog. but there are a few things that have held me back.

first and foremost, there is the money issue. unlike me, achenbaum has the luxury of deciding when to leave her job and therefore can save up and depart when she is in "financial and psychological position where a sudden job loss wouldn't be devastating." she also has a soon-to-be-husband who will provide income for them both to live off of. i also suspect they have (or will purchase) at least one car to commute from the 'burbs.

i do not think that a husband would have solved all my problems, but it certainly would be nice to have someone to take care of me for the past few months, to pay my bills while i get back on my feet or just plant tomatoes for the both of us. i have worked so hard to find a place for myself in the faltering journalism world, but what if the answer was just escaping from it all?

don't get me wrong, i love living in new york. but when you have no purpose to be here, no job to go to 9 to 5, you get to thinking about what you could give up and where you would rather be spending your days beyond the concrete jungle. before i lost my job, my roommate sent me a want ad posted by two women about our age, who left media jobs and rented a house in marth's vineyard for a few months -- they were looking for more roommates. at the time, i thought, what a brilliant idea. i would have never, ever thought of that. when i did get let go, i dabbled with idea of tracking down those women and seeing if the offer was still open. but, needless to say, i ultimately decided against it in favor of maintaining my boring, stable (and expensive) life in nyc.

i guess my point is that i envy emily achenbaum, not just for her ability to leave her job and her city life but for her courage to do so. someday, after a long lost relative leaves me a huge inheritance, i might finally get up the guts to move to a wintry beach community or isolated country paradise. i already know from my months of professional exile that i can fill up a day easily, so if i don't have to worry about earning money, i'll be all set.

someday...