Dear World: I Moved to the Country for "The Simple Life." It's Cost Me More Than Traveling the World Ever Did.
2/01/2026
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hi, i'm ash!
Creator of the New Travel & Design Series, 'OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES.'
Travel writer & host, cultural explorer, and architecture & interiors freak.
Meet ash >
I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈
I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈
The Newsletter
Every week, we're exploring global culture through the lens of the home. From floorplans to fixtures, we examine how houses are built, designed, and decorated around the world (with a side of sass, of course!)
The Podcast
The only podcast where we pass on the pyramids and poke around in the plumbing. I’m Ash, and I'm, exploring the strange, smart, and wonderful ways houses are built, designed, and decorated around the world.
The Books
A new series of OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES books designed to help you try on a new life in different places around the world—by getting to "go behind closed doors" inside local homes to discover what it's really like to live there.
Diseased ash trees – no relation. 😂😂😂😂😂
Couldn’t resist, hahahahahahahahahahahhhah
Ash! I think this is my new favorite read from you!! 👏👏🤩💥 (and oh holy moly on that electric bill 🫣!)
The electric bill here is SO awful in the winter – and I only have heat on in a few rooms! (Bathroom’s a biggie, cold toilet seats are my mortal enemy. 😆) The good news is, I will be all warm and cozy by the fire in the one room that has that, lol, today for OUR CALL!!!!! 🎉🎉🎉
I grew up in the country and have family with old farmhouses; it is definitely so expensive to live “simply!” And of course (sometimes) rewarding. Definitely empowering. I have an urban townhome these days and have a minor meltdown when I have to change the smoke alarm batteries.
Also fyi I just became a subscriber to read this post, and this is the first substack I’ve ever paid for. If you want to feel fabulous today! ✨
This totally DID make me feel fabulous!!! Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 👋🏻 Loving what you’re working on with YOUR Substack. 🤩 And, I completely still have a meltdown when I have to change the smoke alarm batteries. 🤣🤣🤣 Why is there always the world’s tiniest screwdriver involved?!?!
Thank you! I signed up for your writing workshop but only completed the course last week so missed the deadline for submitting a writing sample. I’m finally doing some (teary) writing today for the first time in ages though! I loved the course, also a first for me. Cheers to new virtual/imaginary writing mentor-friends. 🥂
This post both delighted me and scared the living shit out of me… my main desire in life is to get back to living in the country – of course with new construction, and I’m even more convinced it has to be new construction for me, because I don’t know a single person in the world who thinks I should own even one saw… let alone eight of them!
I’m convinced new construction would be like heroin, at this point. In a good way??? 🤣 To not have to worry about the floor randomly caving in one day would be AWESOME. (This is my next big fix: there is a section of the farmhouse that needs *serious* help due to water. OH, WATERRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!)
My first house was new construction (in Manayunk) and I have to tell you – it kinda ruined me. I have zero desire to live in a house that anyone else has lived in. First world problem – for sure.
I use to think that myself after buying both new and old homes, but let me tell you, the new construction of “today” is not the same construction of 20 years ago. It’s not nearly as well done as it was. Same as any appliance you buy today, they don’t last like the ones of 20 years ago LOL. It will be less of a headache no doubt in the beginning but if it’s in the country make no mistake you’ll still need tools as shits gonna go sideways at some point as that’s just the nature of the beast!
Fact!
Ash! This electrical bill! Wow! I moved to rural Italy a few years ago. Away from a very posh American neighbourhood. No more clothes to fit in, no more make up but rubber boots and all sorts of tools. My favorite, the weedwhacker…. And I’m embarking on a new adventure! At the ripe age of 68 I’m about to buy a new house. Of course run down with lots to redo and a jungle to clear. All this to say, I feeeel you!!!
YESSSSS, the weedwhacker!!!!!!!!! I have a battery operated Ryobi that I love more than my friends with gas ones because THEIRS ARE LIKE HOLDING A CAR UP IN THR AIR. Mine is so light and cute, ha!!! This sounds like such a fun adventure, when do we get the newsletter about this?!?
A newsletter?! Let me think… when you write about wallpaper maybe.
Love it. There are days I wish I was jetting around the world and living out of airbnb’s but then I remember I really like the peace and quiet of my wooded property in spite of the money pit it sometimes feels like it is. And it always seem to happen all at once lol. I’m sure it’s definitely cheaper but I agree it’s rewarding in it’s own ways and depending on your goals in life just the chapter you need at the moment. I nearly fainted at my electric bill for Dec it was 889.00 which doubled from the month before but I guess -55/60 temps will do that when you have to plug in the stock tank for the horses, the cars have to be plugged in or they will never start, and although no one really sees my Christmas lights but me by god they were going to be lit till I felt like unplugging them. When it’s that cold you got to have pleasure somewhere lol. Old houses just sometimes need more love then others. I think they’re worth it. I love that you have all the saws. So do I. And they can be useful in many other ways should the need arise hahaha. Not a bad skill to have. Stay warm.
“I view everything in my life as an experiment.” Love this!!
As someone from NZ who has no idea about your tax systems in the US, does everyone pay a school tax? And what does it cover?
There are different tax policies in different areas, but I think it’s fair to say that most homeowners contribute some amount in school taxes. I imagine the allocation of the money also varies by location.
Thanks Jodi! So this is regardless of whether you have children or not? So 20something housemates, retirees etc all pay this tax? (Sorry, in NZ we just pay one main tax that gets separated into various things like schools, healthcare, infrastructure etc- of course government wouldn’t be government without also having other ways to take our money but mostly they try and avoid calling it another tax 😉)
School taxes are generally part of your property tax obligation, and property taxes can include other infrastructure spending as well. I think it’s fair to say that property taxes have a more local orientation as you pay those to the county you live in. And, yes, if you own property, you pay property taxes, including the school tax portion, whether you have kids in the school system or not. I might be in the minority, but I don’t mind my tax money going to fund schools because educating kids serves us all. 😊
Absolutely agree with tax money going to schools, 100%!! Just found it a bit confusing that it was split out like that- today I learned!
If you own property, you pay. However, we have “over 55” communities here as well, and there is no school tax added to the regular tax bill.
Ooohh I hadn’t thought of Over 55 communities. Thanks!
All I could think of while reading this is this epic clip from one of Hollywood’s great films, Baby Boom.
https://youtu.be/jUkqho3OUos?si=KuaehSwR7ZAlVO6J
“Every life has a cover charge” Boom 💥 Yep, indeed.
“Maybe” was one of the first words I learned in Italian (and one of the few I still say in my brain all the time) and portuguese (and one that I say out loud all the time).
It’s quite possibly my favorite word ever.