Last week I enjoyed a girl’s lunch with a friend at one of our favorite country diners.  After finishing our meal but before succumbing to the nagging to-do list awaiting at home, we chatted about everything we could think of.  Somewhere along the way, a sweet gray-haired grandma chimed in on our conversation.  Not local to the area, she asked “Where are you from?  Do you live out here?!”  

Along her near hour drive to the lunchtime destination, this charming lady was just amazed to see the homes and small neighborhoods that dotted the rural landscape.  She said, “I just kept wondering, who would live out here?!”

We laughed at the question and then proudly answered, “We do!” before answering the next handful of questions about country living.  We giggled then, and still now, about all of the surprising details she wanted to hear about.  From how calves are tagged and marked to how we keep our children entertained, she wanted to know it all.  

I have always known that it takes a certain kind of person to appreciate having a mailbox posted on the rural roads.  But I never had quite spelled it out as I did that day.  If ever you had the same question, here is a look at just what kind of a person is willing to live the country life.

First and foremost, these country folks live out on the dirt roads because they love the wide open spaces.  They love to look out their front doors or kitchen windows to see the big open sky unblemished.  

I once told my city dwelling friend how the big skies made me feel like I could take in a deep breath of air while the urban life made me feel confined and completely unable to breathe.  In contrast, she told me the rural life felt vulnerable and unprotected in contrast to the security she felt within the city limits.

We say to each their own and I, along with my far away neighbors, are grateful we get to claim the open spaces.

Most rural dwellers live where they do because they chose a lifestyle of farming and ranching, something far beyond a simple career choice.  In addition to wanting the open spaces, they wanted to work the land and raise animals in a meaningful way.  This lifestyle is demanding and not always easy, but it is satisfying.  Whether it is a deep rooted family legacy, rare talents meant for the work, or a mind for raising a superior product, there is something within them that is drawn to the work on the backroads.

That’s not to say that when there isn’t a chance for a little recreation, country dwellers don’t love their space for a wide open fun too.  Having immediate access to the mountains, hiking trails, hunting and fishing, or just empty dirt roads is satisfying as well.  From the tiniest of tots to their old grandpas, rural folks treasure the opportunities at their fingertips to get out and play.

I have to be truthful, one of the reasons to choose the far away living is because the city simply has too many people.  It is congested with an overwhelming number of overstimulating people, conversations, and the like.  My soul, and those of so many others, just can’t handle it.  Thank goodness for online shopping and all the delivery services that will make their way out to our rural abode.

Obviously, country life isn’t perfect and with it come some struggles.  The gas bill is always high, but the beautiful, quiet drives in and out town are never a waste.  And when it may be hard to nail down an ornery teen that doesn’t want to hang with their parents, that forced together time in the truck may just be heaven sent.

At times it limits what we, specifically our kids, are able to participate in.  I often feel guilty when my availability keeps my kid out of a practice or hang outs when if we lived right in town, a neighbor or a friend could just give them a ride.  But instead of always counting what we miss out on, we think of what we have instead and the world seems right again.

The friends and neighbors can seem limited but, again, it’s ok.  Most country folks are overly independent and won’t ask for help anyway.  And they work far too hard to take time off to play.  But when push comes to shove, neighbors far and wide will answer the call to help or be a friend when someone is in need.  They take care of their own and you can be sure that everyone on the backroads are theirs.

The people that live off the beaten path really are just regular people, but they have a love for the big skies, open lands, and hard work that makes any inconvenience hardly so.  They may seem a little peculiar for choosing the long drives, far away neighbors, and dinnertime grocery trips, but really they are choosing to follow their heart, even down the dirty gravel road.