We abandoned the city rat race, pollution, and crime almost 13 years ago, and moved to 40 acres of heavy forestland in Central Missouri. That has been one of the best decisions we ever made. We have a nice small town about 3 miles away that has most of the essentials, and virtually everything else we might need is within 50 miles, or a 1 hour drive. The neighbors are all nice, and we can leave for the day, forget to lock the doors, and not have to worry about some nitwit stealing our stuff. The air is clean, the water is the best, and the only noise is the hundreds of birds singing their songs. There is constant work to be done to keep the place looking good...I mow almost 1.5 acres of yard...and go through the forest every year cutting down the dead or damaged trees for firewood to feed our big outdoor wood furnace in the Winter, and that constant physical exercise is the Best health care plan a person can get.
About the Only downside is the gravel road. I Used to be a fanatic about keeping the cars clean, but with a dry dusty road, that is almost impossible. All I do anymore is keep a small leaf blower inside the garage door, and when we come back from somewhere, I just fire it up and dust off the car/truck before putting in the garage...to keep a mess from being tracked into the house.
We go up to the city about once a month, for a couple of days to visit the kids and casinos....and 2 or 3 days in that zoo is more than enough to make me appreciate getting back home.
