Having lived in the city most of my life, I am finding it difficult to adapt to my new country life. Moving from within town to the middle-of-nowhere, I've had time to sit and think about the subtle or more obvious differences and have complied some I've noticed. This is my take on country life versus city life.
All the Open Space vs. Limited Space
I much prefer seeing more land and my neighbor not being within sight than fences and my neighbor being less than 500 feet away from me.
Country: 1 City: 0
More Animals Allowed vs. How Many Landlord Agrees To
With having more elbow room comes the opportunity to fill the space with more furry babies, which I look forward to doing. In the city, if you rent (as my family does), you depend on the landlord's approval on whether you can have pets and how many you can have. Given that the first week we moved out here I adopted a feral cat named Kida (mentioned in my last article), I need a lot of room for additional fur babies.
Country: 2 City: 0
Peaceful nights vs. Noisy nights
Easy choice on who wins this round. I'd much rather hear crickets chirping and frogs croaking than the neighbors blaring music at 3 in the morning or the constant growling of a car driving by.
Country: 3 City: 0
Starry Night or Street Light Glare
Now, I've heard of people preferring the beady glow of a street light over a sky full of stars, but I have a tough time believing it to be true. There is nothing more beautiful or relaxing than grabbing a blanket and gazing up at the stars for hours on end. Just thinking about it *sigh*sounds heavenly.
Country: 4 City: 0
Stuck Behind a Tractor vs. Caught in a Traffic Jam
Honestly, some days you're just trying to get somewhere, just cruising along and WHAM! There you are caught behind a tractor or bumper to bumper with the car in front of you. Either way, you are not getting to your destination anytime soon. I know patience is a virtue, but sometimes I can't help but to want to pull my hair out. I see no winners in this scenario.
Country: 4 City: 0
30+ Minutes for a Drive into Town vs. A Simple 5 Minute Drive to Anywhere in Town
So with my sensitive stomach and the winding curvy roads we live on, I am not a fan of going into town too often. Yet when I do, I can't help but to notice how much shorter the span used to be from my house to the heart of town. It is simply easier to live in town if you're a busy body who travels often than to have a 30+ drive to and fro for a couple of groceries.
Country: 4 City: 1
Little Options for Hang Out Space vs. Numerous Options for Hang Out Space
The grand question, "Where do you wanna go?" is one many will hear when they plan on hanging out with someone else. At least where I live I have few options: my house, my sister's house or outside around the houses. There are far more options in town. We can go to the movies, bowling or perhaps do a bit of window shopping and eat out.
Country: 4 City: 2
Friends are Reluctant to Drive Out to See You vs. Friends Coming Over in 5
Since I've moved out here, I've had a friend come over once. She stayed for around 30 minutes and then left. Anytime I bring up coming over she says things like, "Well you live pretty far." or "That's a lot of gas." When I lived in town, I didn't even have to ask, because she just showed up.
Country : 4 City: 3
Doing the Lion King Pose for Phone Service vs. Service With Ease
Living in the country, I still try and stay informed on how all my friends are doing but it is a difficult task when there are only a few spots where my phone gets any signal. Add that I don't have Wi-Fi to connect to either, so I've become dependent on those "Hot-Spots" to work.
Country: 4 City: 4
Seems to be tied up in the end. Maybe I can end up being a little bit country and a little bit city after all.