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“Rural Folks, What Are The Things City Folks Won’t Understand?” (50 Answers)
Interview With Expert
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.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
How dark it is at night. You see how many stars there are, how bright and gorgeous , how busy the night sky truly is.
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.
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#2
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.
WickedLibra70 1 year ago
Funny I read this just as someone started shooting, more than likely target practice
Jaaawn 1 year ago (edited)
Sorry to say but I think we know what country this answer came from. Being from a country that banned guns in the late 90s after our one and only school shooting massacre, the only people that have guns are people with a license that truly need them (like farmers etc) and our armed tactical response police units (which in fairness I do see multiple times in my area as it can be bad- fellow Scots will know why- jakeys.) First and only time I've ever heard an actual gunshot was just this past New Years Eve when a man was shot dead by a 'rival' in the pub across the road from my house. I thought it was an early firework as it sounded similar to the crack sound they make. A firearms murder spooked us so much nobody jn the area really left their homes so it was like a ghost town (minus CSI) for a good few days. I'm sorry for those that live in the USA, especially parents sending their kids to school. I hope your government starts to listen to the millions of you that are pleading and begging for gun control- the majority of us in other countries feel so helpless watching, knowing you want change but also knowing politicians take bribes from gun lobbyists.
Beth Downey 1 year ago
Give it a rest. Criminals don't follow gun laws.. they'll get guns even if they are illegal. It's illegal to take a gun to a school but yet the crazies keep doing it! Murder is illegal.. d***s are illegal.. rape.. speeding... all illegal yet people keep doing them. Go figure.. bad guys don't follow the law.
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Nicole Weymann 1 year ago (edited)
Apparently you, me, and maybe two or three other commenters are the only ones not living in the US or rural France (Pernille's comment). In rural Germany I may hear about three gun shots per year, usually from hunters. I've never heard any when visiting a city.
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Riley Quinn 1 year ago
In the country, everyone owns a rifle, and kids are taught early how to use them properly and respectfully. Sirens were usually fire or ambulance, and it meant your neighbor down the way was in trouble, so it was time to go over there to lend a hand. Fires were the worst because we all had livestock.
Idkanythingrlly 1 year ago
Nowadays, both are concerning to me in a rural area. People seem more...unhinged... 😬
Thomas Hunt, Jr. 1 year ago
Yup, very. You year sirens and everyone scrambles to watch the emergency vehicles or their lights as they traverse the valley. Then we go back in and forget about it till the next day.
S. K. 1 year ago
This is an indictment of a country that is violent enough that sirens and gunshots are a regular occurrence.
Bobby 1 year ago
I am in the USA, but in my area I can honestly say every gun shot I hear is from a hunter who does so for subsistence, not sport. I honestly think it's a little odd that subsistence hunting, not too be confused with sport, isn't as prevalent in other countries. I also acknowledge I have been raised with different values and customs, as well as a severe lack of public transit that could render the need for subsistence hunting moot
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Mariele Scherzinger 1 year ago
Very American. Not every nation is armed to the teeth, thinking it is a fun sport to be wielding guns around as a free-time activity.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
Not at all. I live in a rural area of England, if I hear gunshot I just assume it's farmers going about their business. However if I went to the nearest city and heard gunshot I'd be worried. Sirens don't worry me anywhere
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Marcus Lynch 1 year ago
Yup. I actually love living in an area where people shoot up 🛑 signs! You know everyone has a gun and that nobody is going to mess with anyone else.
#3
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.
"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.
#4
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.
Nannychachi 1 year ago
Neighbor's bull got out a couple of weeks ago. Came back home with a cow that was not theirs.
#5
Standing on my back porch in winter and there is absolute dead silence.
#6
Legitimately being late for school or appointments due to being stuck behind a tractor.
Angela Jester 1 year ago
And the road is always just curvy enough to be impossible to pass safely
“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."
#7
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.
ƒιѕн 1 year ago
Broke down out in the country once late at night, walked 5 miles home in the dark, no moon out, no flashlight, couldn't see anything. I knew something was pacing me as I was walking as I could hear the steps, also knew it was a larger animal and when I stopped it stopped, finally I just stood still and talked to it until it came up to me as I knew the familiar sound of the steps. It was someones horse that had been tailing me.
#8
Leaving your car windows closed at church in the summer so you don't come back out to a car full of Zucchini.
#9
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.
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.
#10
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.
Jessica Bertram 1 year ago
Ayup. Sudden silence or sudden screaming from the magpies/jays/crows. Either is a portent of a predator.
#11
You need to carefully plan out your shopping needs because that trip to Walmart or Home Depot might be a two hour round trip.
#12
Sometimes you need a gun or rifle to ensure the safety of your animals and that doesn't make you a gun nut.
Barbara Wilcock 1 year ago
In England you are aloud to shoot a dog if its scaring your sheep and cows. Only farmers carry guns here and it takes a lot to get a gun licence.
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.
#13
People waving when two cars pass from opposite directions.
#14
You or someone you know has a personal vendetta against a wild animal in the area.
Matthew Savestheworld 1 year ago
My dad...has a serious personal grudge with a specifc beaver.
#15
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.
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.
#16
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.
R Dennis 1 year ago (edited)
The deer can be extra, but it's the damn Canada geese... I hate those f*****s. Extremely territorial. Thank goodness for the swans that chase them away. I have also seen swans cause massive traffic jams walking down the road. They are bigger than most people think. (Edit: fixed "corrected" f-word.)
#17
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.
#18
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.
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!
#19
Full-grown pigs are massive, and terrifying. And they can and will eat someone if ever they get the opportunity.
#20
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.
#21
The sound of spring peepers can be deafening. Also, I miss it with all my heart. .
#22
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.
michael Chock 1 year ago
Honestly, as a kid I always felt more comfortable walking through the woods on a moonlit night than laying in my bed hiding from the shadows the same moon made in my room.
#23
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.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Conservative Christian rural people would have you believe their church will take care of you. They reject Federal aid. But many of those "Christian" churches only help if you belong to their religion.
#25
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.
Betsy Knox 1 year ago
I grew up in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles. We would always say hello when walking in the hills above LA and also when backpacking in the high country (Yosemite, Mammoth, Angeles National Forest, etc.). I always thought it was hiker’s etiquette to say hello on the trail.
#26
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.
Kathy Richardson 1 year ago
Being able to sleep with your windows open cause there isn't all that horrendous noise going on, it doesn't stink from all the air pollution, and the risk on someone crawling through that window is slim to none.
#27
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?!?!"*.
#28
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.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
As a city raised Liberal who retired to a rural small town in North Carolina, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Conservatives we met were very nice friendly people and not the MAGA full of hatred types. Maybe if conservative rural folks got to know city Liberals they would realize all their preconceived motions of Liberals was manufactured by the right wing media.
#29
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.
#30
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.
geezeronthehill 1 year ago
FedEx, nor UPS, nor Amazon, nor post office can dare this mountain driveway.
#31
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.
#32
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. .
unfilteredCigarette73 1 year ago
A decent chest freezer is a good investment if this is your situation
#33
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.
Stephanie Did It 1 year ago
Sounds amazingy like Alaska, just substitute the type and size of fauna you're going to hit at night.
#34
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).
geezeronthehill 1 year ago
New folks moving in up the valley. Driving too fast on this winding road. The deer will show them why to slow down.
#35
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.
#36
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.
Stephanie Did It 1 year ago
That's perfectly all right because they are, and like all wildlife, a gift.
#37
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.
#38
The difference of saying that you're "going to town" vs "going to the city".
Anywhere but Here 1 year ago
“Town” is the place you go frequently to get the stuff you need (groceries, mail, whatever). “The city” is where you go school clothes shopping, or to a concert, or for a specialty appointment. A few-times-a-year whole-day trip.
#39
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.
#40
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.
#41
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.
#42
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.
#43
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.
#44
Peace and quiet. An aunt from the city stayed and couldn't sleep as it was too quiet.
Bexxxx 1 year ago
Oh I actually moved to a big city for 8 years before moving back home to my small town. My city home was next to railroad tracks and under a flight path. It was hard to sleep for a few days without the regular sound of airplanes and trains! (And sirens and cars on the highway etc) Now I’m so used to the sound of wind in the trees and rain on the roof and nothing else - I struggle to sleep when I visit the city
#45
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.
#46
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!
#47
“Town pants”.
Nannychachi 1 year ago
Town pants. They are somewhere between slouching at home pants and church pants.
#48
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.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
90% of the hate between Conservatives and Liberals, rural and city folks, is manufactured by the right wing media. That media makes money getting people all riled up and angry. Don't believe any of it!
#49
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.
FreeTheUnicorn 1 year ago
This is the biggest difference I notice. Live in a city now and no one steps up it's someone else's job. Obviously call emergency services if you can, but you see someone struggling, don't staff it out. See someone's car is broken down, oh they are on their phone calling someone, no need for me to see if they are ok. A building has burned down, the city will take care of it. No one even checks. And yet, they are surprised when animals and the weather impact their lives. Flooding? Blizzard? Why aren't the buses running? What do my taxes pay for? Like you could pay the sky to stop dumping water. Just backwards thinking.
#50
Not flushing the toilet because the power's out.
Lavern Defazio 1 year ago
No flushing the toilet when I was young because we used an outhouse. Yep. I was that poor and I am that old
#52
That time of year when the entire village will smell like s**t. Wafting in gently from all the fields. As opposed to the usual smell of s**t from all the horses coming through the village on a regular basis.
#53
I lived in a large city until two and a half years ago. The biggest thing I ever noticed, other than the quiet and the lack of convenience, is the difference in people. Where I live now, people are more patient and polite. When I go home to visit family, I find myself so intolerant of the rudeness of strangers. I wondered when the people started behaving so rudely. Then I realized, they always had, I was just used to it.
#55
1. None of my dogs over the years has ever seen a leash and have the freedom to go wherever they want. 2. Tractors are our favorite vehicles and trusted friends. 3. I don’t talk to my neighbors often but they know I’d do just about anything for them and I know if I needed something they’d be there for us. 4. Money is great but sweet tea and family is what living is all about. 5. In the country, you appreciate a good vet, and treat them well, there is usually just one who will come out and help with the cows. 6. In the country we like to hunt but at the same time we are staunch animal protectors and love nature.
#57
We need the big trucks so we can haul big stuff and I don't have to cut my grass if I don't want to. No fines from the city.
#58
My wife used to make fun of me, when we first got married, for saying I was “going to town” any time I needed to go to the grocery store or Home Depot or something. Which was understandable given that we lived in the middle of a mid sized city. Just a habit from living in the sticks my whole life. My revenge: I moved her to BFE Appalachia. Now she has to “go to town” every day.
#59
There is literal s**t on the roads The smell of nature is that of dairy, pig and chicken farms not pretty flowers. Most folks will help you with anything you need even if they themselves are quite busy.
#60
I grew up extremely rural and now live urban. 1. You need a car. There is no walking anywhere. You go into “town” a few times a month if you don’t work there. When I was growing up my dad worked in a small town next door and my mom worked in the village next to that. We didn’t go to “town” (the city) but once a month to get groceries when dad got paid. If it isn’t gotten then, you either get it at the gas station if you can afford the high price or it isn’t happening unless you drive the 30 miles to the city. 2. We lived so rural there wasn’t cable. We had satellite or over the air antenna. You are the *last* to get anything. Whether it’s a new channel, a new road, cellphone service, internet access…..you’re the last to get it. My brothers still live in the old home place and there isn’t cable. It’s satellite or streaming and internet is still DSL. 3. Most people who live there are families and know each other. About 50% of my classmates in school, our parents graduated together. One of my best friends was best friends with my mom in school. Everyone knows your business. I drove a vehicle that was outside the norm (yellow color, bright yellow). I used to get a text message every time I left my damn house asking where I was going from someone who saw me. 4. Life is slow. I hear people complain in cities like Dallas and Phoenix there’s nothing to do. LMAOOOOOOOO come to the rurals man. You make your own fun or it ain’t had. 5. Modern day conveniences don’t exist. There is no Uber. No Uber eats. No pizza delivery. Your local restaurant closes around 7-8, and the gas station may serve food for a bit before closing. If you feel like pizza or Taco Bell or sonic you’re gonna drive at least 30 minutes to the city. Theres no delivery or just walking up the street. 6. (5) also includes emergency services. In my parish (county), we fell under the sheriff and it was common for there to be only 2 deputies patrolling at night. Need help? Sorry both deputies are tied up right now, I’ll try to find you someone from somewhere close by but it may be a minute. Oh and the EMS or volunteer fire have to be summoned from home. It’s gonna be a minute or two extra.
#61
The joy of driving around town without having to wait for traffic lights. I dread the day my hometown grows that large...
kitten levels tokyo 1 year ago
There’s nothing like putting your tractor in third gear and just cruising through downtown.
#62
Getting to pee anywhere in your yard if you need to.
Daniel Atkins 1 year ago
I grew up in a family of six with one bathroom. If I need to pee. I went outside.
#63
The value of peace and quiet. Meditation and yoga classes don't count. I mean sitting on your back porch with nothing but the sounds of birds chirping. It makes you feel alive more than anything else.
#64
Walking in the woods is not a death sentence. Yeah there are some big game that could kill you out west, but by far 99.9% of wooded areas are not death traps. That includes "off trail". Most animals are afraid of humans and immediately run away. I can walk for miles up here in the northeast and never see an animal, nevermind worry about getting attacked by the docile animals we have here.
Stephanie Did It 1 year ago
Caveat: unless you make foolish choices like being unprepared with water, proper clothing & shoes, and some common sense. If a local gives you advice, TAKE IT.
#65
My kids get two days off school every year to attend the rodeo.
Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
Downstaters are dumbstruck that our kids get "safety day" off(first day of deer season) from school. If they didn't, we would not hit student count.
#66
Our world is small. We may not know a lot about what happens outside our small world, that doesn’t make us any less intelligent or sympathetic about what goes on outside our own little bubble. Also, because our world is small we tend to over fixate on the few things right in front of us.
#67
We burn brush piles and run equipment early and late. You don’t have to call 911 for everything, the rural first responders are probably busy doing the same. Investigate and verify.
Daniel Atkins 1 year ago
You are asked to call the local fire department and let them know you are burning so the dispatch will not have to send out the firefighters unnecessarily.
#68
That you have to mind your own business and be ok with everyone knowing everything you do.
Krystal Quigley 1 year ago
Exactly. Some people mind their own business, but there will always be those people.
#69
We 100% yell to each other over fences. Also, my neighbor knocked on my kitchen window to borrow sugar! But most importantly, we know each other. Like we KNOW each other. Your problems are our problems. We watch out for everyone. The area I live in, we are one giant extended family.
Nannychachi 1 year ago
I text my neighbor, "Tell (her son) to come to the fence" when I have something for them.
#70
The mosquitos! The thousands and thousands of inescapable mosquitoes, and sheer size they are! They literally crunch when you kill them. I moved 4 states away into a city, so now I don't hear that *EEEEEEEEEE* noise anymore, I just hear gunshots every night... which is way more preferable.
Michelle C 1 year ago
I’ll take the ‘skeeters, honestly, but only slightly more than gunshots. Neither are ideal.
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What do you think ?
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
My property is bordered by a state forest preserve on two sides, my own acres of trees on the third side, and the land across the road is all fields on an organic farm. This is what happened after I stopped cutting the grass in my yard. Photo taken through my kitchen window. Deer-66640...08538e.jpg 
Colin Matthews 1 year ago
Here in Australia you can add in constantly listening to the radio in fire season and having a Go bag ready in summer.
V 1 year ago
Don't forget the summers that you are on flood watch and fire watch at the same time!
Load More Replies... ZGutr 1 year ago (edited)
the one i miss here: In the rural area's you know your neighbors. And even if you don't know them well, you can knock at their door at 02:10 and the will answer, And they will help help with whatever it is. If you knock in the darkest of night it's important for you, and that's enough justification for them.
Guess Undheit 1 year ago
As an adult, living in the country might be okay, but as a kid it kcufing sucked. MAYBE one or two kids nearby to play with. No libraries or other things to do. No transportation and you're 20km from home - do you think the "parents" GAF about your priorities? Made worse by metre deep snow, stuck in the house 24/7 all winter except to go to school.
Dorothea Stovall 1 year ago
I grew up in the Southern California suburbs in the 70s with an aerospace dad and a stay-at-home mom. My husband grew up in the middle of a cotton patch in rural Arkansas with an extended farming family. If they did catch/kill it, there was no meat. Now, I LOVE to go stay in the house he grew up in and hang out on the porch with his old mom. He wants to go back to living uptown in Dallas - like we did when we met.
Load More Replies...
Della 1 year ago
Birds singing to each other first thing in the morning, watching the deer in the back field, never put curtains on back windows as no on is ever back there! Thanking God every day for a beautiful safe place to live. I bought this old house 30+ years ago, no one wanted it, it was old and needed TLC, but the location was every thing.
ZGutr 1 year ago (edited)
Nobody complains about your chimney smoking. They understand it does that when warming up the stove. It'll stop soon enough when hot and they also understand you too want to warm the house in the winter. (If the smoke comes from your grill, that's a different.story.....then it's probable they show up with more meat and beer)
Mila Sliacka 1 year ago
I once spent 3,5 years in a small rural town in the Netherlands (in Friesland to be exact). Top 3 things that surprised me were: 1. some people would own just wooden shoes (including my driving instructor). He said he had black ones with leather for special occasions and the full wooden ones for regular days. 2. People were entering other peoples houses without even knocking. Just entered and hollered Hello? There were times I would hide in my bedroom until they left. 3. The village I lived in (Achlum) had an enemy village next to it (Arum). Both villages seemed very similar including names. Someone told me that the beef had a religious background from long time ago (hervormd vs. gereformeerd). So exotic!
Matt Smith 1 year ago
Wouldn't mind an occasional visit to the countryside, maybe even an extended one every now and then, but I have little to no desire to live there full-time
Tina Marie 1 year ago
And that is totally OK😊 Different strokes for different folks
Load More Replies... Undercover 1 year ago
City nights: 15.000 lights and 1 insect Countryside nights: 1 light and 15.000 insects
Krystal Quigley 1 year ago
A woman once told me how awkward it was to live in the same town as her ex that sexually abused her daughter.
DC 1 year ago
I opposed all the prejudices against eastern german people until I got to work, and therefore, live, in an east german small town (15...20k inhabitants). This was in early 2021, so Corona was still pretty much affecting everything and everyone, wearing a mask indoors was mandatory in all things open to the public, like grocery stores and the like. About half the people didn't care and every, literally every time I went into a store with a mask on, some exhaust orifice of a human told me that I'm just an obedient sheep doing everything anybody asks from me. Uh ... like, not? It's just that this time, my thoughts AND the regulations came to the same conclusion. Maybe more an east-west german thing, but in larger cities in the east, I never got to hear such. The more rural, the more east, the more rightwing, is also said ... because it is, showing in the AHs in the store who complained about mask wearers. Can't be bothered by facts, because they already have their opinion.
Elmaur 1 year ago
We all have to do our part. But you know, they had a couple events in history where they did what they were told. And rural areas everywhere hold onto things longer than urban.
Load More Replies... Justin Tyme 1 year ago
Don't expect to move to a rural area to escape crime. There potentially can a crime problem - especially things being stolen from houses, barns, and storage sheds. People know there if very little chance of getting caught when they can easily see nobody is home, your house is not within easy sight of the neighbor's house, and the state police patrol vehicle goes down your road about once a week.
madbakes 1 year ago
Most neighbors, if they're in view, keep an eye out. Also, everyone has guns so there is more hesitation for break ins. D***s definitely can still be an issue.
Load More Replies... 
Dizzie D 1 year ago
That you must respect the animals and wildlife. This is their true domain and yes, you should slow right down for that sheep running across the road. Give space to the deer on your property and let it eat just a few of your apples from the tree. That pheasant can be noisy. You will get mice in your country house at some point, try and get rid of them humanely. Respect nature around you and you learn to appreciate it more. Don't get frustrated with it.
Sheena Morrison 1 year ago
I'm in bed right now and can't hear a thing. When I turn the tv off there is no noise in my house unless I make it. It's bliss.
happyplants28 1 year ago
ABSOLUTELY the waving to other cars! People also help each other out a lot more in rural areas than city areas. However, it’s not as diverse and it takes hours to get to any major supermarket..
Sue Knerl 1 year ago
It used to be quiet here when we first moved in. More people came with dogs, kids, 4 wheelers, target pistols. Friggin' kids love to SCREAM as loud as they can. Annoying as hell. Are they hurt or just screaming for the hell of it? Mostly the latter. Dogs that back all the damn time cuz they are outside. Why shut them up? No one hears them. BS, I hear them. Quit using my drive as a turn around for your friggin 4 wheeler and put a helmet on those kids hauling a*s down the road on them.
Tina Marie 1 year ago
I loved my childhood. Except on Halloween. Dad driving us at least a couple miles to each house for us to trick or treat, getting frustrated by the 3rd house...other than that it was pure gold. I wouldn't change a thing
Alicia M Goodner 1 year ago
So many spiders , scorpions , snakes , wasps , and ants... INSIDE , no matter what you do... Ugh
Alex Doiron 1 year ago
A lot of these are the idealized / romanticized versions of small town living. Bulls**t that you tell city people who don't know any better.
Tina Marie 1 year ago
Not if we have or are living it. Then it just seems like normal life, nothing to brag about. It's baseline for the lifestyle. Sure there are downsides, but a BUNCH of those were listed as well
Load More Replies...
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
My property is bordered by a state forest preserve on two sides, my own acres of trees on the third side, and the land across the road is all fields on an organic farm. This is what happened after I stopped cutting the grass in my yard. Photo taken through my kitchen window. Deer-66640...08538e.jpg
Colin Matthews 1 year ago
Here in Australia you can add in constantly listening to the radio in fire season and having a Go bag ready in summer.
V 1 year ago
Don't forget the summers that you are on flood watch and fire watch at the same time!
Load More Replies... ZGutr 1 year ago (edited)
the one i miss here: In the rural area's you know your neighbors. And even if you don't know them well, you can knock at their door at 02:10 and the will answer, And they will help help with whatever it is. If you knock in the darkest of night it's important for you, and that's enough justification for them.
Guess Undheit 1 year ago
As an adult, living in the country might be okay, but as a kid it kcufing sucked. MAYBE one or two kids nearby to play with. No libraries or other things to do. No transportation and you're 20km from home - do you think the "parents" GAF about your priorities? Made worse by metre deep snow, stuck in the house 24/7 all winter except to go to school.
Dorothea Stovall 1 year ago
I grew up in the Southern California suburbs in the 70s with an aerospace dad and a stay-at-home mom. My husband grew up in the middle of a cotton patch in rural Arkansas with an extended farming family. If they did catch/kill it, there was no meat. Now, I LOVE to go stay in the house he grew up in and hang out on the porch with his old mom. He wants to go back to living uptown in Dallas - like we did when we met.
Load More Replies... Della 1 year ago
Birds singing to each other first thing in the morning, watching the deer in the back field, never put curtains on back windows as no on is ever back there! Thanking God every day for a beautiful safe place to live. I bought this old house 30+ years ago, no one wanted it, it was old and needed TLC, but the location was every thing.
ZGutr 1 year ago (edited)
Nobody complains about your chimney smoking. They understand it does that when warming up the stove. It'll stop soon enough when hot and they also understand you too want to warm the house in the winter. (If the smoke comes from your grill, that's a different.story.....then it's probable they show up with more meat and beer)
Mila Sliacka 1 year ago
I once spent 3,5 years in a small rural town in the Netherlands (in Friesland to be exact). Top 3 things that surprised me were: 1. some people would own just wooden shoes (including my driving instructor). He said he had black ones with leather for special occasions and the full wooden ones for regular days. 2. People were entering other peoples houses without even knocking. Just entered and hollered Hello? There were times I would hide in my bedroom until they left. 3. The village I lived in (Achlum) had an enemy village next to it (Arum). Both villages seemed very similar including names. Someone told me that the beef had a religious background from long time ago (hervormd vs. gereformeerd). So exotic!
Matt Smith 1 year ago
Wouldn't mind an occasional visit to the countryside, maybe even an extended one every now and then, but I have little to no desire to live there full-time
Tina Marie 1 year ago
And that is totally OK😊 Different strokes for different folks
Load More Replies... Undercover 1 year ago
City nights: 15.000 lights and 1 insect Countryside nights: 1 light and 15.000 insects
Krystal Quigley 1 year ago
A woman once told me how awkward it was to live in the same town as her ex that sexually abused her daughter.
DC 1 year ago
I opposed all the prejudices against eastern german people until I got to work, and therefore, live, in an east german small town (15...20k inhabitants). This was in early 2021, so Corona was still pretty much affecting everything and everyone, wearing a mask indoors was mandatory in all things open to the public, like grocery stores and the like. About half the people didn't care and every, literally every time I went into a store with a mask on, some exhaust orifice of a human told me that I'm just an obedient sheep doing everything anybody asks from me. Uh ... like, not? It's just that this time, my thoughts AND the regulations came to the same conclusion. Maybe more an east-west german thing, but in larger cities in the east, I never got to hear such. The more rural, the more east, the more rightwing, is also said ... because it is, showing in the AHs in the store who complained about mask wearers. Can't be bothered by facts, because they already have their opinion.
Elmaur 1 year ago
We all have to do our part. But you know, they had a couple events in history where they did what they were told. And rural areas everywhere hold onto things longer than urban.
Load More Replies... Justin Tyme 1 year ago
Don't expect to move to a rural area to escape crime. There potentially can a crime problem - especially things being stolen from houses, barns, and storage sheds. People know there if very little chance of getting caught when they can easily see nobody is home, your house is not within easy sight of the neighbor's house, and the state police patrol vehicle goes down your road about once a week.
madbakes 1 year ago
Most neighbors, if they're in view, keep an eye out. Also, everyone has guns so there is more hesitation for break ins. D***s definitely can still be an issue.
Load More Replies... Dizzie D 1 year ago
That you must respect the animals and wildlife. This is their true domain and yes, you should slow right down for that sheep running across the road. Give space to the deer on your property and let it eat just a few of your apples from the tree. That pheasant can be noisy. You will get mice in your country house at some point, try and get rid of them humanely. Respect nature around you and you learn to appreciate it more. Don't get frustrated with it.
Sheena Morrison 1 year ago
I'm in bed right now and can't hear a thing. When I turn the tv off there is no noise in my house unless I make it. It's bliss.
happyplants28 1 year ago
ABSOLUTELY the waving to other cars! People also help each other out a lot more in rural areas than city areas. However, it’s not as diverse and it takes hours to get to any major supermarket..
Sue Knerl 1 year ago
It used to be quiet here when we first moved in. More people came with dogs, kids, 4 wheelers, target pistols. Friggin' kids love to SCREAM as loud as they can. Annoying as hell. Are they hurt or just screaming for the hell of it? Mostly the latter. Dogs that back all the damn time cuz they are outside. Why shut them up? No one hears them. BS, I hear them. Quit using my drive as a turn around for your friggin 4 wheeler and put a helmet on those kids hauling a*s down the road on them.
Tina Marie 1 year ago
I loved my childhood. Except on Halloween. Dad driving us at least a couple miles to each house for us to trick or treat, getting frustrated by the 3rd house...other than that it was pure gold. I wouldn't change a thing
Alicia M Goodner 1 year ago
So many spiders , scorpions , snakes , wasps , and ants... INSIDE , no matter what you do... Ugh
Alex Doiron 1 year ago
A lot of these are the idealized / romanticized versions of small town living. Bulls**t that you tell city people who don't know any better.
Tina Marie 1 year ago
Not if we have or are living it. Then it just seems like normal life, nothing to brag about. It's baseline for the lifestyle. Sure there are downsides, but a BUNCH of those were listed as well
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