by Amelia Tibbett

Created on: August 18, 2008   Last Updated: August 26, 2008

A recent ad caught my eye. It was an advertisement designed with the intent to get people to want to move to Nebraska. The ad had a plethora of comparisons such as a picture of "Their traffic jam" featuring a cityscape packed to the gills as far as the eye could see with bumper to bumper traffic, versus "Our traffic jam" which featured a road block full of cows. Another example was a picture of their security system, in which it featured a very large dopey eyed dog lounging on a front porch. This got me reflecting on my own experiences as a country gal turned urban chick and back several times. Is there an advantage rural living? And if so, what is it?

I've lived in many rural areas. Some may just seem like made up little towns for the likes of most folks. When I say I was born in Moberly, MO, I usually get a "Never heard of it". Havelock, NC is another town that I have to identify by what it is near rather the town itself. Or probably the most famous is Dover, PA which got its claim to fame when People Magazine featured the town on its cover for its debate on intelligent design. In contrast to this, the reaches of my urban experiences span from Wilmington, DE, Baltimore, MD and most recently my home of York, PA.

Each rural town has its own unique charm, but characteristically one thing is strikingly similar, if you want to go anywhere other than the local Piggly Wiggly or Winn Dixie, you should be prepared to drive a bit. In my experiences of rural living, there is a stronger sense of community than in urban settings. Truly, folks do leave their doors unlocked and lights on. Leash laws? Never heard of em. New to town? Well you won't feel that way for long. Not much goes on in a town with a population of 500 that everybody doesn't know about sooner or later.

Is there an advantage to rural living? This is definitely the question to be answered. If you are one of the few who can make it work for you, the answer may be yes. My family was never in that situation. If you long for wide open spaces and friendly faces, for a real sense of community, the kind of neighbor helping neighbor that you just won't find in the hustle and bustle of 9 to 5 urban utopia than this may be for you. If you can make your living in the rural area, live off the land or be lucky enough to find employment close by, who wouldn't want such an experience, especially if you do have children? Fresh air, lower crime rates and tight knit community are all plusses in my book.

With the cost of gas these days, it is becoming more and more difficult for people to make commutes that are in excess of an hour's drive each way for a commute and it is this factor that weighed the heaviest on my family's decision to move closer to my husband's job. I'm happy to say that I still live in an area that is somewhat rural. I was able to move 35 miles north to a more residential area closer to the interstate, but I am minutes from the country.

When the advantages are weighed against the disadvantages, the list is short. I think there is a saying something like, "You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl." Well I think that is true. Rural living is something that I feel everyone should get to experience at least once in their lifetime. Until you actually live the life, there really are no words to justify the peace that comes at the end of the day when you sit and watch the sunset, or see a starry night unobstructed from smog, tall buildings and the echo of traffic looming in the background.

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