Things I like: concrete under my boots, riding the subway, restaurants that stay open until 3am, being anonymous, stillness while the world around you rushes by

 My boyfriend, Devin, will always be a country boy. A Colorado-born photographer, he also loves the city but like many of its residents, aches to escape its chaos and feels the call of a quieter life. A couple of years ago he bought a house upstate, where he now lives part-time.

Things I don’t like: squishy mud under my shoes, driving a car, a neighborhood that sleeps at 9pm, small-town

gossip, restlessness while the rest of the world sits still

 Is it me or is a rural escape very on-trend these days? More and more we see millenials are trading fast for slow, jam-packed for wide-open, artificial for made-with-our-own-two-hands. In our small social circle upstate, almost all are urban creatives who have the desire to supplement their overly-stimulated city lives with a more tactile and tranquil existence.

To each their own, I suppose. But me? I wasn’t totally buying it. Slow-living, well that’s just fine. But I’ll take my locally-sourced, artisanal cider at the crowded bar, thank you very much. Then I can get home by taxi or, better yet, I can walk! (In the country, ironically, walking appears to be taboo).

But oh, the things we do for love.

In the spirit of adventure, open-mindedness, and, let’s be honest, compromise. I started accompanying Devin on his trips upstate.

There was plenty of pushback.

Driving: No.

Snow shoveling: Hell no, it’s freezing.

Chickens: Ahhhh nooooo!! *runs and hides* Why is that one in the corner looking at me?!

Wildlife, in general: Please see above.

Raking leaves and household tasks: I can’t rake the leaves right now, I have a CAREER to worry about!! Please, when are we going home??

City girls are nothing if not opinionated.

Once, I told Devin that, as a stylist, I could learn to like anything that involves new clothes. I thought I was joking, but the words turned out to be true. Devin encouraged vintage Wranglers for working in the yard and cowboy boots for honky tonk-ing. I stocked up on cozy flannels for a day of cooking, and warm, wool coats for brisk, evening beers on the porch.

In my updated wardrobe, I leaned even further into already existing elements of my personal style. I found that my trademark tomboy-ease and utility work perfectly for country life. My love for rugged, time-worn fabrics like denim, wool, cotton, and leather, took on a new practicality. To avoid looking like a lumberjack I played with silhouettes, like sharp or purposely baggy. No matter the situation (and much to Devin’s entertainment), my ever-present gold hoops and necklaces helped me feel like, well, me.

By discovering my upstate look I, oddly enough, also discovered my upstate identity. Like with my personal style, I slowly learned to make the country my own.

City girls are nothing if not resourceful.