When you think about living in the country, you think peaceful and serene. You picture being surrounded by nature without a care in the world. But, is it really all it’s cracked up to be? Today I’m going to be talking all about the countryside, and the pros and cons of living rural.
I’ve lived in all kinds of environments – cities, small towns, and in the country. There really are perks with each, however my favorite place to live is in the country. Given my blog name, I’m sure that’s no surprise to you!
But, living in the country isn’t all roses and sunshine every single moment. There are some days that are hard. There are some days that I know would be easier if I lived closer to amenities.
Thankfully, the pros outweigh the cons to me in country living. But honestly, it’s really personal preference and what’s important to you when it comes to the best place you and your family should live. Let’s dive into the good AND the bad about the countryside.
ALL ABOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE
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PROS ABOUT LIVING IN THE COUNTRY
It’s quiet and peaceful.
Some people love the buzz of the city. Me? I love to sit out in my backyard and hear absolutely nothing but the birds or the wind swaying through the trees.
If you love a quiet environment, the country is a perfect place to live. No sound of constant traffic and there isn’t people everywhere. You don’t often hear sirens or construction.
When I need to be alone with my thoughts, when my heart feels heavy because the news is all bad, I go outside and take in a sunset in utter quiet, or I walk down my road and soak in all that is around me in the peaceful moment.
For my heart, the quiet and peacefulness is perfect.
It gives you many outdoor opportunities.
Country properties make it easy to do things outdoors like have bonfires, start a garden, raise some animals, go atving, and more! There is no limit to all the things you can do in the country!
Even if you don’t have the means to do everything you want on your property, often you can find it close by. If you live in the country you may be closer to a lake for fishing, boating, or swimming. Or you may live close to trails to go hiking and exploring. There’s definitely plenty to do in the country that you won’t find yourself bored!
You might save money.
When I lived in the city there wasn’t much we could do that was free. We often spent weekends shopping, going out to eat, or going to the movie theatre. On top of that, there was the convenience of being able to hop to the store whenever we felt like it, or wanted a late night snack (and for foodies like us, that’s a serious temptation we struggled to avoid!)
When you live in the country many things you want to do, like I listed above, are free. As well, it isn’t convenient to just run to the store. You aren’t going to run to the grocery store at 9:00 at night just because you feel like a snack when it takes you 30 minutes to get there.
You learn to improvise, be prepared, and just stop spending as much money as when you had easy access to the stores.
Also, you may save money on housing as it is often cheaper in the country if it’s further enough away from the city.
It helps you slow down your life.
Life is busy no matter where you live these days, but there’s a certain type of “slowness” in the country that isn’t as easy to attain in the city. For us we really limit extra-curriculars that the kids are involved in or even commitments we make ourselves because it takes a lot longer to drive anywhere. We moved to the country to ENJOY the country and not to spend all our time driving around.
There’s a different kind of culture.
One of my favorite things I loved when we moved to the country is the way people loved to invite others over for a meal, or our church did the good ole’ fashioned potlucks. In fact, since moving to the country I have only went out to eat at a restaurant a few times (and we’ve been here three years!) Of course, our family goes out to eat because we enjoy it, but the culture out in the country is more of inviting someone into your home to share a meal instead of going out to the restaurants. Let’s not forget how this saves you cash as well. 🙂
It’s an introvert’s dream
If you are an introvert the country can be a dream for you. I once was an extrovert but over the years changed into an introvert and I have to say, I very much enjoy being alone. I do enjoy hanging out with my friends, but I am pretty content to be alone too. Living in the country gives me more time to be on my own (of course, when I say on my own, I mean with my three kids, cause, when you are a mom are you ever really alone?
BUT, LIKE I SAID, IT’S NOT ALL ROSES AND SUNSHINE. LET’S BE REAL HERE AND LOOK AT THE CONS OF LIVING IN THE COUNTRY.
CONS ABOUT LIVING IN THE COUNTRY
None.
Just kidding. 🙂
It takes more time and gas money to get anywhere.
Driving anywhere in the country seems to take time and extra gas money. Our closest stores to drive to are only 15 minutes away but they are tiny, small town stores that often don’t have what we need so we drive to the closest city which is 40 minutes away. We knew by living in the country we’d have to be okay with the long distances to go anywhere and everywhere.
When we first moved out here we only had one vehicle which meant when my husband was at work I couldn’t go anywhere, so that can be an issue too if you are a one vehicle family. We know have two vehicles and I gotta say, it’s really nice to have when you live in the country.
There’s a different culture out here.
Wait, Amanda, didn’t you just put this in the pros? Well, yes I did. But it can be a pro or a con, depending on your personality. If you love fast-paced, and enjoy hanging out in the restaurants with your friends, well, then you might not enjoy the country as much if you can’t find anyone to do those things with.
Services take longer to get out here.
When it snows our road is one of the last to see a snow plow. When the power gets knocked out our area is one of the last on the priority list. When I’m expecting a package it often gets delayed because it’s the last one on the route and didn’t make it in time, or they decide they don’t even want to come out this far and call me to arrange a pick-up instead.
Oh, and speaking of the power going out, if you have no power your toilets don’t flush. That’s fine for an hour or two, but after 30 hours of no power, things get pretty dicey. (Ask me how I know.)
We’ve learned to expect things take longer out here. It’s just the way it is.
Slow internet – need I say more?
One of the major frustrations in this day and age is slow internet in the country. Many of us use the internet for more than just pleasure. We use it for work. Our kids use it for school. And so the slow internet is no longer a minor inconvenience, it actually affects some pretty important stuff.
It can be lonely.
If you love connecting with people, then living in the country can be lonely. Heck, there can be times living in the country is lonely even for introverts who love being alone. You definitely have to make a bigger effort to connect with others when you live in the country.
IS THE COUNTRYSIDE RIGHT FOR YOU?
Now that we’ve talked all about the countryside, the pros and cons, the question is – is it right for you? Well, only you can answer that. While I adore the country and plan to live out here as long as I am physically able, I have friends who would just never be happy living in the country, and that’s okay. We’re all different with unique personalities. It would be pretty boring if we were all the same.
I do think, however, that we need to be careful not to romanticize country living without ever considering the negatives. Every kind of life comes with some hardship and you have to decide what kind of trials you can live with.
Ultimately I believe the country is a peaceful, wonderful place and even if you can’t see yourself living there, maybe you can enjoy getting away from it all and taking a vacation in the country.
If you are seriously contemplating leaving the city and living in the country, check out this book to give you all the stuff you need to know on country living.
And if you decide that moving to the country isn’t for you, but you’d still like to get some time in the great outdoors, why not plan a camping trip? Spending a few days in the woods can do your soul a world of good.
There is an assumption, countryside must be miles away from a city or town.
Is it still countryside if you homestead approx. 3 miles from a major shopping center?
Well, yes, definitely. But many people tend to move further out because countryside that is close to the city is often very expensive. And then you have the possibility of the city building out to your property as time goes on. But definitely, you can have a country home right outside the city limits and many do!