My New Home

As a girl who grew up in Wyoming I thought I knew and understood the "rural" life. So when my new husband called me a Roman in the context of being used to my modern conveniences and city life I was slightly offended. I knew what it was like to live in the country! There wasn't one "soft" city slicker bone in my body! I was a country girl who loved riding horses, working hard outdoors, camping, hiking and wide open spaces. Granted I can only listen to so much country music before I wanted to gag and I enjoy indoor plumbing and hot showers. A clean house is important to me and I don't mind activities such as going to the movies, occasional shopping and Italian restaurants. But a Roman?! I could handle my own in the barbaric countries of the world. 

I was so wrong.

May 18th 2013 (approx 2.5 weeks ago) we moved to Arden's family ranch in Southern Utah. This ranch is beyond off the grid. Powered by solar panels and using well water, the ranch house was built in the 1850's. Additions have been added one by one throughout the years including the small bedroom apartment, bathroom and living area which has become our new residence. But even these additions are run down and poorly/half built. In the winter the house is heated by two coal stoves, one in the kitchen and one in the living room. In the summer a swamp cooler attempts to cool off the main part of the house. Before getting a hot shower you have to plug in a small hot water heater made for a trailer.

 Arden's grandmother has been on her own in the ranch house since grandpa died over a year before. Luckily uncle's family lives in the only other house out at the ranch so she hasn't been completely alone. It's a 30 minute drive into "town" with most of it being on a dirt road. I say town but really it's more of a pit stop in the middle of the southern Utah desert with a few local homes and 3 gas stations and 2 hotels for the tourists.   It is a 2-3 hour drive to get groceries depending on which direction you prefer to travel. 

And so I have discovered what the Roman's felt when traveling beyond the empire. Arden's ancestors came from the wilds of Scotland. When the Romans invaded the British Isles they met with fierce tribes whose barbarism and uncivilized ways were shocking. Their strength and size made them quite the match for the Latin soldiers and so a wall was built. A wall to keep out the uncivilized, wild people of the north. A wall that was never crossed. 

In the few short weeks of living my new life I've realized how fitting Arden's metaphor was. I am a Roman. And I've crossed Hadrian's wall.