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Alissa Hessler is a writer and photographer, most well-known for her now decade old project, Urban Exodus. Through countless podcasts, stunning atmospheric photography, and candid interviews, Alissa has documented the lives and transitions of hundreds of former urbanites who decided to move to the country. These stories share the triumphs and difficulties they've experienced since leaving the conveniences of city life. Her book Ditch the City and Go Country, was hugely helpful and inspirational to me during my own move to the country. In 2020, I helped Alissa launch the Urban Exodus podcast, with which I worked with her as a producer on.
When Alissa met her now-husband, she was living in Seattle working for a major cell-phone company. Serendipitously, the day they met, he had just signed the papers on a rural Maine farmhouse. She was faced with a choice – love, fulfillment, and adventure – or continue the relentless corporate grind. She chose the former of course, and was thrust into a wholly new way of living, full of its own challenges, but also immense beauty and meaning.
In our conversation we speak about Alissa’s personal journey in following love to the countryside, the creation of Urban Exodus, the history of urbanization and the hollowing out of rural communities, accepting ideological differences, preparing for the AI future, and retaining our humanity.
I highly recommend checking out Urban Exodus if you want to live in the country one day, or already do. The stories on the site are heartfelt, practical, and inspiring. Something Alissa talks about in this episode is how “necessity breeds courage,” and for Alissa, leaving the city gave her the courage to start this massive creative project, teach, and build a company from the ground up.
Below are some of my favorite Urban Exodus stories that I worked on:
Shala Monroque – An NYC fashion icon who moved back to her home country of St. Lucia to live a more traditional life close to the land
Jon Jackson – A veteran who struggled with PTSD and depression after returning home, and built a working farm run by other vets. It has become a place of productivity, community, and healing through agrotherapy – soil therapy.
Alicia Malone - A host for Turner Classic Movies who left LA for rural Maine, to pursue her creative dreams, and live a slower place of life.
Alissa’s Links
Urban Exodus website: urbanexodus.com
Urban Exodus Podcast: urbanexodus.com/podcast
Alissa’s website: alissahessler.com
Book: Ditch the City and Go Country
Mentioned in this Episode:
WSJ: Parents in Tech Want Their Kids to Go Into the Arts Instead
Music and editing by Simon Linsteadt: www.simonvictorlinsteadt.com
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