Keeping it real

Posted on by

tomatoes || cityhippyfarmgirl.com

It was the array of vegetables quietly lying in their own individual plastic that finally broke it for me. I felt deflated, defeated and pretty bloody miserable to be honest.

Moving cities was always going to have its pockets of turbulence, I knew that. It’s a transition period where you have to nut out what’s what, who’s who, where’s where and build up from that right?.

I knew that, it all takes a little time.

So why was I feeling like I was carrying round a basket full of sad, looking down at my plastic encased vegetable dinner options?

Because I forgot. I did have options.

While I had been trying really hard to keep things as uncomplicated as possible, while I nutted out a seemingly endless supply of other issues that needed attending, packed a household, unpacked a household, grappled with a grumpy oven, the weather defied all odds, new garden beds were created and I mostly single parented the summer school holidays. For those reasons, I resorted to supermarket vegetables, some bought bread, and more plastic encased food than I cared to think about.

Except I did care, and combined with the transition of moving, it made for a pretty sad face round here.

Shopping had turned into being surrounded by an endless supply of uninspiring temperature controlled chain stores, empty conversations, enough plastic to make you shudder and all filled with people who I seemingly had little in common with.

It all felt so false. The mass-produced shopping, the plastic on plastic, the convenience of it all and the questionable happiness that people seemed to get from living like this.

Is that how it really is? Was this really my chosen road, the inevitable living that was bound to happen at some point, just because we moved?

Staring at those vegetables again, and something gently clicked back into place.

Hell no. This isn’t me, this isn’t us. I Don’t. Want. This.

Readjustment, realignment, and a good rethink.

organic feast || cityhippyfarmgirl

And so slowly I’m catching up. The local transport system was nutted out, travels further afield were taken. Local organic vegetables got delivered to the door which gave me some breathing room when I couldn’t get to the farmers markets, independent health food stores were located, the toilet paper came in bulk, the huge shopping centres were bypassed and I found the beginnings of a list of a few mismatched seated cafe’s that served coffee in cups the size of my head, (and from which I danced in caffeine fuelled happiness.)

While I didn’t want the plastic vegetables, and the convenience of everything being at my door step, I do acknowledge that I needed it for that transition period, (and not being sainted) may dip back into it in small amounts over the coming few months as needed.

While we are all still very much finding our feet and it really will take a while to set down new roots, I feel a hell of a lot more grounded knowing that there has been a bunch of bread just baked, there’s kombucha on the bench top, I’ve found places that I can buy basics in bulk, joined the local library, traded cucumbers for black soldier fly larvae over the back fence, made jam, made kasundi, roasted pumpkin’s and with a contented exhale, have once again sourced our families every day vegetables bought without a single, sheet, of plastic.

For me, it feels a whole lot better to be once again, keeping it real.

herbs || cityhippyfarmgirl.com

 

30 thoughts on “Keeping it real”

  1. Transition is difficult at the best of times. Moving house is up there on the stress level grades. Great that you located the source of your transition blues and found a way through. Hope the new city continues to grow on you!

    Like

    Reply ↓

      • My family is just beginning the process you are in . . we are only moving to the next town and only ten miles from our current house, yet must start all new garden beds and will rely on a new library as well as different stores . . caffeine is mybfriend right now, too. . . and way too much sugar . . . until we are settled . .. then we will begin to explore the surrounding forest preserve and restock our foraged yummies!!

        Like

  3. I’ve been in that position many times especially in the Snowy Mountains. Shopping at the supermarket was soul destroying. The taste or tastelessness, the plastic, the chemicals. It took a while to source items elsewhere and I had to compromise food miles a lot of the time. It has gotten better over the years but I do miss the abundance of good ethical food in the city and how a lot of it can be delivered straight to you door. You have gone through a huge transition so remember you can’t do everything perfect, all of the time. xx

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Soul destroying is so right Zena. For basics I’m fine with, but an overflowing shopping trolley with no connection what so ever with any of the products within it, is just…miserable inducing for me.
      And I forgot, it does take time to source different things from different people. In Sydney it took me years to be doing it as seamlessly as I was, (and I hope I can get back to that at some point.) Baby steps right?

      Like

      Reply ↓

  4. Sigh. I can’t wait until I have a vegetable garden. I love growing tomatoes. SO easy and so joyful to watch. I love picking off the shoots that grow in the junctions. Such easy maintenance. I can’t wait to grow garlic. Obviously so I can have a much needed year round supply of garlic heads with cloves of a substaitial size – nothing worse than having to peel a thousand tiny cloves. But I really want to plait them too. And hang them in a countrified manner about the perfect farmhouse from nails protruding dark wooden beams…

    Like

    Reply ↓

      • I feel the same struggle living where I’ve been for two years- I know where to get my preferences but I buy the mainstream awfuls when I’m too sleep deprived and stressed. It’s a process, and I’m having to be kinder to myself about it just now. But, oh, it grates.

        Like

  9. It’s funny about getting comfortable with un-comfort. Once upon a time, I remember the huge upheaval it was to move house.
    Now my family moves countries at the drop of a hat. Turning adversity into the adventure of life is the only way our family (7) has survived without too much trauma…. The adventure of living in china and trying to find some tinned fish without any bones in it…. or bread without sugar, or some yogurt that’s not runny like a drink….
    Finding produce became a wonderful experience for our family, and even found us lost in the countryside being fed by the residents of female Shaolin Temple – the simple act of finding and buying food to nourish us….making ethical, healthy choices – is one our family joys in life. We have also lived during times where there is no alternative besides a local 7/11 store, for 3 days, try that on for packaging and health…. but all the time living an adventure, the experience of life and food : )
    How we handle the search for food is what makes us who we are….
    What a beautiful thing to hear from someone that they are rising to the challenge, they have said, enough, my way now…… go Bridie!
    x

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thank you for taking the time to write all of that Narelle. I would love to hear more of your adventures of travelling and living as a family overseas. Three days of 7/11 food and my teeth ache a little just at the thought 🙂
      Where are you based now?

      Tricia from Little Eco Footprints, yep she’s gold, and has been a wealth of info for a long time.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  12. Crazy how much stress change actually affects us huh, Brydie?! Although good you figured out the source of the problem and that you are now settling into it all and finding a rhythm. I envy you, I know I need to make some big changes, but the comfort of where I am at is a nicer place than the unknown. Ha! Happy weekend lovely. 🙂

    Like

    Reply ↓

  14. So glad your ah-ha moment kicked in. Made me thing of the Radiohead song “fake plastic trees”. Here I sit writing my shopping list for the week. There’s a lovely sort of content that comes with knowing majority of our food comes from smaller, independent stores. Takes a while to get there though. Wishing younlots of sun and rain to get those veggies growing. Quick sticks!

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Too much sun, I’ve stunted a whole bunch of the poor buggers. I go back and forth between, yay! my garden is awesome…and then to, oh my god, why is nothing growing. Learning the big ones eh.
      And you are right about the contentment of knowing where your stuff comes from, and buying from those smaller retailers, such so much more soul filling. Slowly, slowly…like the garden I suspect.

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • Oh my goodness, yes. I just wrote to Bec of Thinkbiglivesimply the otherday saying that I felt like a see-saw with the garden. One day i feel like my whole hands are green with garden talent, then nature smiles her smug face and the next day all my tomatoes are eaten by ants! I think the art of tuning in to the ecosystem is simply that, an art. It takes a while to learn its musings. And don’t worry about the sun, Perth is yhe worst for too hot stunting. Lots of morning water and swathes of shade cloth.

        Like

Leave a comment