People will forever argue about whether it’s better to live in the city or in the countryside. I can’t state a strong opinion myself, as these are such contradictory options each with its pros and cons.

Living in a big city is many people’s big dream. It’s definitely more convenient, as there are all the necessary institutions around. You can crave for pizza in the middle of the night and go get one from the nearest cafe or store. Plus, metropolises offer much more options and possibilities for a good education and career which is very important. So for lots of people the choice seems obvious. However, living in the countryside even for a short period may change your perspective as you realize that it’s much better for a happier life.

This summer I’ve been spending a lot of time in our country-house, hence why I decided to make a list of all the benefits of living a little far away from the civilization.

• Physical health

Well, this one’s quite obvious, isn’t it? In smaller towns and villages the air’s much cleaner which positively affects your health. You walk much more often (at least in your own territory), work in your garden, swim (if you have your own pool or a lake nearby), bike around. These are much better physical exercises than all those gyms with heavy equipments and stuffy air. Not to mention that you can grow your own fruits and vegetables without any chemicals and eat more healthily. There were some scientific studies that claimed that the quality of sleep is also better in the countryside as there are no noises, city lights and distractions around. No wonder people in villages often live longer and healthier than those in the cities.

• Mental health

Mental health is no less essential than the physical one. Or maybe even more important, cause lots of our problems come from our subconsciousness and mental state. And that’s not a secret that our surroundings affect us either in a good or a bad way. So, when you live in a peaceful environment, you start feeling more relaxed and calm. You slowly get rid of your fears and anxiety, things that used to worry you, don’t bother anymore. You kinda feel like you’re on an endless vacation due to the feeling of peace and freedom around.

• Harmony with nature

Once people and nature were inseparable, intertwined. We knew how to take care of nature and it seemed to know how to help and protect us. Alas, those times are long gone, at least in the city, cause apart for exceptional trees and parks there’s no place to really feel the connection we used to have with this world. While in a country house you constantly need to take care of your surroundings. You plant your own garden, work with soil, water the plants and trees, learn what they need to survive. You slowly reconnect with nature and start feeling the harmony with it. After a while you’ll feel as though you’ve gained a new good friend who’s always around.

• Slow life

I’ve already talked about the perks of living a slow life. It’s quite hard to do so in big cities where everyone and everything seems to in a constant rush. No matter what you do, even if you run along with them, you always feel left behind, like you are not enough and you haven’t done enough. But in the countryside life seems still, slow, peaceful. It may be boring a little, especially to those who are used to the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, but after a while you start to enjoy it, as you realize that you don’t need to compete and compare your life and achievements with others. You understand that you’re exactly where you need to be, not literally but figuratively. You start living in a pace that’s comfortable to you, you start walking through your own path and that’s just the best feeling.

• Quality time

What do most people living in the city do when they have free time? Right, they go out. To cafes, shops, clubs, cinemas etc.. Cause what else we should be doing, when there are so many fun things to do, right? But after a while you may come to the conclusion that you can’t really entertain yourself and you try to find entertainment in outer things and places. As I mentioned, life in the countryside is kinda monotonous. There aren’t too many places to go. So throughout time you learn how to have fun on your own. You start trying out different hobbies which are not only fun but also beneficial as they develop various skills. After a while you realize that you can pretty much stay on your own for days and not get bored at all.

• Security

Last but definitely not least, in smaller towns and villages people feel much safer. I don’t really know the reason, but I reckon it’s connected with the fact that people know each other. They’re either far relatives, good neighbors, friends or just acquaintances. You can actually get the feeling of unity in here, which gives you a sense of security. Lots of people don’t even lock their doors or cars because they’re so certain that nothing bad can happen. And it rarely does, at least compared to big cities, where you don’t even know your neighbors and can’t count on them. In the countryside people will always come to help if needed, like if you’re moving something heavy and need a hand. One of the things that surprised me, is that strangers always say hi to each other. You just walk through your neighborhood, see a person you haven’t met before, and you greet each other or maybe even have a small talk. It feels like places like these are the last of the Mohicans for having normal human interactions.