Many of us who dwell and work in major cities dream of someday moving to the countryside. Nature. Fresh air. Rustic food. Simple living. And friendly neighbors. That’s what we dream about. But in those daydreams, we don’t consider a lot of small but important details that come with life away from the city.
Internet user u/rjroa21 sparked a truly captivating discussion on r/AskReddit. They asked the people living in rural areas to share the things that your average city folks probably wouldn’t understand. We’ve collected some of their coolest insights, from getting stuck behind a tractor in traffic to stargazing and dealing with wild animals.
Real estate investor and co-founder of SparkRental.com, G. Brian Davis, was kind enough to share his thoughts on the pros and cons of rural life with Bored Panda. You'll find our interview with him as you read on.
Davis, the co-founder of SparkRental.com, shared his thoughts on what makes rural life so attractive to urbanites. “What city dweller hasn’t dreamed of more space after another cramped evening in a small apartment shared with a spouse or kids or housemates? Many urban dwellers also dream of outdoor space that they can call their own," he told Bored Panda in an email.
"Sure, they can visit a park to see a tree or two, but it’s not their space. They can’t plant a garden in it or landscape it exactly the way they want. Some urbanites also love the idea of a slower pace of life. Fast-paced city living can get exhausting, especially as you get older," he said.
Not only that but there's the constant cacophony of city life to consider. “It didn’t bother me in my 20s, but in my 40s, I find myself put off by the constant car horns, alarms, sirens, and thumping bass from some teenager showing off their subwoofer,” Davis said, adding that the traffic in big cities is also an issue.
"Finally, city life can feel impersonal, isolating, and lonely. There’s nothing worse than feeling alone in a crowded area. Some urbanites yearn for a close-knit sense of community."
However, despite the perks, it's not like rural life is 'perfect.' There's a lot to consider before you buy a random log cabin in the middle of nowhere. “Urban dwellers should be careful what they wish for because they may end up becoming the dog that catches the car. Small towns and rural areas can feel too quiet, too still, too small for many urbanites," Davis said.
“They may miss the amenities of urban living, from art galleries [and] restaurant options to sporting events and museums. For that matter, they’ll likely miss easy access to a major airport. In rural areas, you have to drive to get, well, anywhere. That’s a rude awakening for many city dwellers," the co-founder of SparkRental.com told Bored Panda.
"And that tight-knit community is only as good as your adoption into it. If you don’t feel included and welcomed, if you don’t feel like you fit in, you have few alternative options for social circles."
There’s no use beating around the bush: we’re huge fans of nature, wildlife, and peace and quiet. Living in the countryside in a house you fully own, with lots of land and a gorgeous view out the window, would be a dream come true. You can go hiking in the woods, have a lush garden, raise chickens, stargaze, and do whatever you really want to do. In short, rural life means freedom.
However, it doesn’t mean that it’s ‘perfect.’ Rural and city life both have their fair share of pros and cons. The countryside is not a Disney movie. It’s a lot of hard work if you plan on growing your own crops or raising animals. Furthermore, you’ll have to get used to the fact that you won’t have fancy restaurants, gyms, massive events, and supermarkets on every corner like in the big city.
Meanwhile, you also have to figure out what you’ll do for work. That’ll depend on your career, industry, and the specific company you work for. Some are happy with their workers going fully remote. Others embrace a hybrid system. But some demand their staff to show up at the office every day for that [cough, cough] brilliant work culture.
You’re trading one type of freedom and flexibility for another type. What you choose will depend on your lifestyle, values, and aspirations. Some might love the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s all they’ve ever known. Others remember visiting their family and friends in the countryside and can’t wait to settle down where they’re always surrounded by greenery. Still, others will opt for the best of both worlds and choose a suburban home. (Though, the designers and architects in us hope that they’ll choose a home that isn’t a mass-produced copy like their neighbors.)
The world is rapidly urbanizing. In this day and age, there are more people living in cities than in the country. This already happened a while ago. Statista reports that the global urban population overtook the rural one all the way back in 2007. Based on data collected in 2022, around 4.5 billion people live in urban areas. In contrast, roughly 3.4 billion live in rural territories.
Rural living is what you make of it. Some folks romanticize it because they feel that it makes for better communities. But it doesn’t happen automatically. If you’re active in your community, help your neighbors, and make an effort to invite everyone over for dinner, barbecues, and what have you, sure, you’ll make friends.
However, if you always keep to yourself and barely interact with anyone (like in a massive apartment building), you’ll end up missing out on a lot.
Though, to be fair, a study done by the Pew Research Center found that rural residents are not more likely to interact with their neighbors than people living in urban or suburban areas. However, rural residents are far more likely to know who their neighbors are than people living elsewhere.
According to the data, 40% of rural residents know all or most of their neighbors, compared with 28% of suburbanites and 24% of city dwellers.
What’s your take on rural vs urban vs suburban life, dear Pandas? Where do you live now, and where would you ideally want to settle down? What do you value the most when you visit the countryside? Tell us what you think about all of this in the comments!
How dark it is at night. You see how many stars there are, how bright and gorgeous , how busy the night sky truly is.In the city, people ignore sirens and pay attention to gunshot sounds. In the country, people ignore the sound of gunfire and pay attention to the sound of sirens.Dogs. Dang it! People just driving out and dropping off unwanted dogs. Once some coward dumped their mother dog and her 6 puppies near my front lawn. I hope there is a special place in hell for those people.Standing on my back porch in winter and there is absolute dead silence.I own a house that sits smack in the middle of three cattle farms.
The other night, I took my dog out to pee well after dark.
There was a weird noise, and a pair of glowing eyes at the end of my driveway. It was, of course, a cow.
I called my neighbor to the North. He drove his UTV down, inspected the cow, didn't recognize it, and called my neighbor to the south.
He sent his teenage son over in a car with no catalytic converter/muffler. He also didn't recognize the cow.
Finally, my neighbor from the West was summoned on his ATV. It was his cow.
The rest of us stood there drinking beer and watching the Western neighbor drive his cow home with an ATV.
Good times.Legitimately being late for school or appointments due to being stuck behind a tractor.Weird noises in the woods? Deer. Glowing eyes in the shadows? Deer. Something following you down a dark country road? Deer. It's always f*****g deer.Leaving your car windows closed at church in the summer so you don't come back out to a car full of Zucchini.Weather changes your life. I've sat on the porch with my parents watching hail destroy our wheat crop days before it was due for harvest. There's nothing you can do. You just watch. I've also stood in a circle with my parents and older brother in the yard while we prayed for rain. For farmers, weather is destiny.Sounds are not the scary part. Silence is.
Edit: I had been walking with my younger sister and dog (I was ten, she was eight). Suddenly world went dead silent and my dog froze, trying to huddle near the ground. Almost immediately I had unclipped her. Dog went bounding home, me and sis went to the road. Still utterly silent the whole time. Then my dad comes driving up with the dog and a rifle (we had only been about a mile away). As we’re driving away, what’s in the tree line? A f***ing mountain lion.You need to carefully plan out your shopping needs because that trip to Walmart or Home Depot might be a two hour round trip.People waving when two cars pass from opposite directions.Sometimes you need a gun or rifle to ensure the safety of your animals and that doesn't make you a gun nut.You or someone you know has a personal vendetta against a wild animal in the area.No sidewalk? Walk AGAINST traffic.
We learned this as kids - we live in the suburbs now, but my husband also grew up in the same rural area where this was drilled into our heads. It blows my mind to see adults walk with traffic in the suburbs (where there are no sidewalks). And I always want to scream at them: 'AGAINST the traffic, so YOU can see! It's for YOUR OWN GOOD!'
For those not in the know: walking against the traffic puts you in better position to see/avoid hazardous vehicles. Walking with your back to traffic coming behind you? Not a great vantage point. Especially in 2024 when most pedestrians have ear buds in.
ETA: I also find myself doing it in parking lots and even if there IS a sidewalk - at this point in my life (53F), it's ingrained.Nature is brutal and so are animals. That eagle is so majestic in the city, but out here I am cursing it's existence for f*****g up my chickens. Bears are so cute, but they are annoying as f**k trying to get into the shed where we have to lock up our garbage cans. Deer are so beautiful, but those f*****g a******s eat every f*****g leaf off of a fruit tree sapling and kill it, not to mention all the destruction they will do if your veggie garden fence isn't high enough.
EDIT: All that being said, still a huge advocate of wildlife and their protection, I'm just saying that out here we integrate back into the food chain so to speak, whereas in the city you are removed from the inconveniences of being in it.If I call 911, nobody will be here for AT LEAST 30 minutes for EMS, 45 for fire, and an hour for police.
And that's assuming they have nothing else to do and respond immediately.
If the house is on fire, you call the neighbors. In less than 10 there will be half dozen tractors with water tanks and hoses.
Lop your foot off? Call the neighbors. They'll drive you to the ER.
Somebody means to do you harm? Shoot back or die waiting for the Sheriff. Your choice.Having your name and age listed in the local newspaper when you’re pulled over for speeding and your family/friends get to give you s**t for it because everyone lives to read the weekly police report.Grew up rural AF, chose to live in the city after becoming an adult.
I'd say the sheer level of how on your own you really are.
A lot of rural folks romanticize it. And it is nice... Unless you are one of the people forgotten or excluded by society. Develop a d**g/alcohol addiction? Have problems getting food? Old age has slowed you down so much that you can't leave the house? S****y parents that taught you nothing and kicked you out at 18? Cool, that's all on you. There's basically no help around, and everyone is so obsessed with this "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality that unless you find the right group, you're just going to be shamed if you try and get help. Rural cruelty has a whole different depth to it in my experience.
Cities are more densely packed, and that means that charities and nonprofits tend to focus more there in order to reach more people. It's much easier to get help, and find people who knows someone who can help.Full-grown pigs are massive, and terrifying. And they can and will eat someone if ever they get the opportunity.The sound of spring peepers can be deafening. Also, I miss it with all my heart. .A lot of fake country folk overhype the woods. Any time someone mentions a skin walker that's your red flag. I live in the woods. Yes the woods can be scary but it's far from paranormal. The woods are a fine place to explore and gain an appreciation for real tangible nature. Don't let the boogeyman scare you away from the biodiversity native to your area. Buy a field guide so you can get out and learn something.1. You’re gonna see a “lost” or “abandoned” baby rabbit, bird fledgling, or fawn at some point and it’s 98% likely that they don’t “need your help” and the best thing you can do is to walk away.
2. You can free range your chickens or other fowl, but you’re gonna lose some to predators. No, you are not allowed to shoot the hawks. If you don’t like it, keep your birds in a large run.
3. The deer, bear, foxes, and other fluffy animals are not your friends. They are wild. They can and often will hurt you if you get too familiar.
4. You still need to fence your dog or keep it on a leash or a lead. If your dog attacks someone’s livestock, pets, neighbours or their children, or otherwise acts aggressive, your dog will be likely be shot and the law will be on your neighbour’s side. It doesn’t matter if that aggression was actually an attempt to play.
5. No, you are not allowed to jump someone’s fence in order to pet their cows, horses, other animals. Also, those animals may kill or wound you because you’re a stranger.
6. Just because you can’t see anyone actively living in an area doesn’t mean you can dump your trash there, hunt there, or otherwise act like you own the property.That cute lil’ foxes ?sound like screaming banshees at night.I'm reminded of my time at the University of Iowa. A fellow I knew, grad student age, but he wasn't actively attending, walked with a cane because of a gimpy leg. He'd broke it when he was a child, but he'd tell anyone who asked that he was mauled by a sow.
He said the city people would just laugh it off as a joke. The country people would look at him in horror and say, "And you're *still alive?!?!"*.The abso-f*****g-lute peace there is. No sirens, no, "personal soundtracks" blaring, no traffic noise, cleaner air, darker nights (less street lights), more wildlife & nature.
I've lived in NYC before and wouldn't trade this for the best apartment back there.The little wave you give when passing a vehicle going the opposite direction on a country road. Bonus points if you're cool enough to just raise your first two fingers off the steering wheel.
Also, saying hello to a stranger on a hiking trail, or at least giving a little nod and smile. I can always tell someone isn't from here when I say "hello" on a hike and they look at me like I'm an alien.As a lifetime NYC'er, I just wanna say to any rural folks here on this thread that most of us city folk do not stick our noses up at people that live in your area, despite what you might hear. And speaking for myself, I respect your livelihoods and sometimes envy living in your open spaces. I honestly want us all as Americans to simply appreciate our differences and just get along. Live and let live. And I would love to go to a country hootenanny! thanks.You're probably on well water, which means that if the power goes out, you no longer have water. That also means that you get one, maybe two flushes of the toilet, and I bet you're not top priority for the electric company.
Choose wisely.
Or get a generator.See that driveway, someone has to plow it.
You manage your own water, sewage and waste. No, that doesn't go down the drain. Yes the water is treated and drinkable.
You have a generator because when power goes down it stays down for days at a time.
You have a pantry because running out of rice or salt is an hour or more drive says.
You fix your own s**t because getting an electrician plumber or carpenter is hard as hell.
You drive a vehicle with enough clearance because you need it.
That guy cutting hay on the vast majority of the land has been cutting it since before you were born. He chooses when and what time. That time is 6am.
Your mall truck is a joke out here.There is no animal control out where I live, and no shelters within 100 miles that will take strays. If you dump your cat or dog, they will be eaten by a predator, starve to death, or be shot.If you don’t make dinner you don’t eat. No uber eats or grub hub, no delivery pizza or takeout, unless you want gas station food.
Most places nearby close by 5:00PM on weekdays and have extremely limited hours or are closed entirely on weekends.
It can be pretty damn peaceful. .You can’t buy up a rural property on the cheap and then have big city expectations about the state of your neighbours properties or their behaviour. Welcome to redneckville, sometimes old washers live in the front yard and people park their 18 wheeler rigs in front of their house (and noisily warm them up every morning at 4am).Rural australia liver here:
bore water. the sky is inexplicably Bigger. don’t drive at night if you can help it because you WILL hit a kangaroo. stars like nothing you’ve ever seen. leave town and you have no reception. what’s a traffic light? cook your own dinner or you aren’t eating. everyone and their mother owns a beatshit ute. the nearest hospital is four hours away and the local airport is a literal shed in the bush.I know, I’m buried…
You can never fully explain what it’s like on quiet nights when there’s no insects chirping, like in winter. I live on the outskirts of a small town, a mile from the railroad tracks. Even though there was snow on the ground and in the trees, plus dozens of houses between me and the tracks, it sounded like I was standing next to the train at 3am. Loud, loud, loud.
Alternatively, you also never prepare someone for how soothing it feels on a summer night, sitting on the porch, hearing the wind move softly through the trees, insects harmonizing their sweet tones, lightning bugs flittering about, blinking in a chaotic fashion. You just close your eyes, sip your drink, and experience almost total relaxation.Im the city girl that moved to the country. Everybody from here sees deer as a nuisance or as dinner. Six years in, my dumb a*s still think they're magical.The difference of saying that you're "going to town" vs "going to the city".Just how safe it is.
For 13 years I didn't lock my car up. Hell, half the time I left the keys in the ignition.
Plenty of spring and autumn nights I went to sleep with my front and back doors open. Windows were open 24/7 during those times, even if I were gone.
Also, how easy it is to accrue pets. At one point I had 12 cats, just because strays would show up and never leave.Stores not being convenient. The importance of keeping a *good* amount of gas in your vehicles. Lack of street lights. Waiting 45+ mins for an ambulance. No public transport, no cabs, no Uber or Lyft. No food delivery.
Quiet, except for the critters outside. Space. Cleaner air. Neighbours are far. Ticks everywhere! Wood roaches and spiders the size of your hand. Snakes. So. Many. Trees. Catching yourself baby talking possums and raccoons.Peace and quiet. An aunt from the city stayed and couldn't sleep as it was too quiet.I leave my doors unlocked when I'm away so the neighbors can get in if they need something.
I have a sleeping porch and I use it often.
We walk through each other's property without rebuke.
Nobody can hear me if I scream.Driving home in a storm. A tree fell across the road in front of us (Mom and daughter). The truck behind us got their chainsaws out of their toolbox and moved that tree withing 15 minutes. Also there is not cell service everywhere. Only one service works consistently from my house.Country life is slower than your lifespan.
City, you can go year after year seeing new buildings pop up, business, events, etc.
Country life...same county fair every year, maybe a new building every 10 years, new business 5 years.You can just leave things out in the world and there's no risk of them not being there when you come back another time.What real quiet is like and what real dark is like. I've spent time in the city and time in the middle of nowhere, and felt the mental health improve and stress level drop. Ain't nothing like laying in a hammock in a cool breeze when the nearest human to you is at least a quarter mile away.When you live in a small town and you get into trouble outside of town, then the news gets back to town before you do!The nearest fire department is you, and your neighbor ten miles away, with a couple flatbed trucks and 500 gallon tanks of water on them.That us and intercity people have much more in common than different. Food deserts, poverty, being ignored and our parents juggling jobs to support us. We need to be united and find commonality.“Town pants”.Not flushing the toilet because the power's out.
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