The city is a great place to live if you like noise, traffic, dirt, sirens and crime. If not, maybe the country is for you. I have lived in both city and country during various times in my life. Currently, as I sit here writing this, I’m homesick for the country. I’m longing for the peace and quiet, no traffic, no neighbors so close that I can touch them from my deck. I miss the rolling fields and pine forests that surround them. I miss the horses and corn crops everywhere I look. I miss having a view of all the spectacular greenery. My view now, consists of houses everywhere, one of which I can almost touch, cars, dirt, street, traffic and potholes. This is a clean city, but it is just that - a city.

When you live in the country, chances are, your neighbors are a good distance away. You will probably live on a road with little traffic. If you hear a siren once a month, that’s a lot. Crime does not run rampant in the country as it does in some places in cities. Depending on where you live, you can still leave your house and car unlocked. Peace and quiet abound. My former house in the country had no visible neighbors. Every now and then a neighbor may walk over with some homemade preserves. We’d sit and chat for a while, then she’d be on her way.

We had an orchard, a stream-fed pond to fish in, a vegetable garden, a fruit garden, horses and dogs. Every night we’d sit outside with a campfire and look up at the stars. Many times we’d see deer, foxes, coyotes, skunks and other small wildlife wandering through our property. There were only the noises of nature. It was a great place to just relax and reflect.

There is a downside to living in the country too. There are not many social places to go unless you drive to the city. There are local bars and hotels that you can enjoy, but if you’re interested in clubs and dancing, forget it. The grocery store, post office, gas station, doctor’s office, etc. can be a long drive also. Chances are, if you live in the country, you’ve got a larger property than city folks. This means you’ve got more with grass cutting and snow removal. Most country people have riding mowers and plows to take care of those little annoyances quickly.

What it all boils down to is personal preference. There are many good reasons to live in both places. There are just as many bad reasons for each. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.