What moving from the city to semi-rural life taught me about movement, work and slowing down.

By Karen Hobson, Founder of The Eumundi Trading Co

When we lived in Brisbane, exercise was something I had to schedule around work, work travel, family and life. I went for walks and I worked out in hotel gyms when I was travelling. Being an office worker I made time to move during the day, even if it was a walk at lunchtime  because walking to the kitchen 10 times a day to make a cup of tea doesn't really cut it.  

Now, living a semi-rural life in Eumundi, movement seems to find me wherever I turn.

I stack wood. I dig holes. I shovel A LOT of dirt and push that dirt in a wheelbarrow. I weed garden beds. I haul bags of soil. I build gardens out of rocks from the fill that gets delivered. I walk to collect sticks for kindling.

I move pots, prune branches, rake leaves and spend entire afternoons doing jobs that somehow leave me more tired than many a gym session ever did. Oh and did I mention I've launched 2 online businesses, something I've never ever done before and I'm building the whole things myself  so I never have to go back to corporate life?  

The funny thing is, I do not really think of it as exercise. It is simply part of the life we chose. Deep down I've always known I wanted to live like this; living on my terms, spending my days the way I want to spend them and luckily, my husband wanted the same thing, so here we are. 

We first came up with the plan during Covid but it took us about 3 years to find a location we liked, that didn't take us too far from family responsibilities and that offered a rural life with no more than a 30 minute drive to the Beach (what can I say, once a beach girl always a beach girl). 

I'll admit the first 6 months were pretty tough, my body went into shock with all the physical exercise, lifting, pulling, shoveling; I found muscles I hadn't heard from in years! But I loved it and the effect it had on my body, especially as a menopausal women suffering unnecessary weight gain and can I say that moving those heavy rocks is a great way to deal with the mood swings of menopause.  Don't even get me started on having to learn to power up & connect the generator when cockatoos take out power lines and we have no toilets or running water with no power. I'll save that for another time. 

Luckily, my husband is a really handy man and has taught me a lot over the years which has stood me in good stead and given me the confidence to keep going while he is busy working during the days and I'm here at home. 

It's not always easy and it's certainly not a life for a couch-potato but I absolutely love it.