Lifestyle

10 Reasons Rural Life in the Texas Hill Country Rocks!

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Rural Texas Hill Country folk truly have it best! Don’t get me wrong, there are still advantages to living in the city. You are closer to stores and entertainment. Things are just more convenient. However, do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Cities smell funny, there is always traffic, there is more concrete than open space, the crime rate is insane, and people just aren’t as neighborly as they are in rural areas. Here are the reasons why rural life in the Texas Hill Country rocks!

1. Getting stuck behind a tractor is considered a traffic jam.

tractorPhoto: Rondeau Ric

If you have ever been stuck behind a tractor on a country road, you know that most times there is no getting around it. It can be frustrating, but rural folk understand that it won’t last forever and don’t generally hold anything against the farmer driving the tractor. Why? Because he or she is just trying to do their job. Most times, the tractor will pull over to let traffic through. Sure beats sitting for two hours in rush hour traffic in the city.

2. They support Ma and Pa businesses.

businessPhoto: The Backstreet Nomad

Why go to a chain coffee shop when you can go to the diner down on the square to get a perfectly good cup of coffee? The rural community supports ma and pa shops for a variety of reasons. First, ma and pa shops tend to be unique, each offering up a couple of things that can’t be had anywhere else. Second, small rural communities are close knit. These places are where people go to catch up with someone they’ve been meaning to talk to. Finally, without these small shops, the community turns into a ghost town. These ma and pa shops are part of how rural folks make a living to support their families, and they are what make the community great. Who really needs a skinny, triple shot, Caramel Macchiato with extra foam anyhow?

3. Fresh air and wide open spaces!

wideopenPhoto: Real Food Traveler

Have you ever stood in an open field after a fresh rain and took a deep breath in? If so, then you know what I am referring to. The fresh country air! If not? Bless your heart! I’m sure one day you will make it happen. Nothing smells sweeter than the country air after a fresh rain, or in general for that matter. Those living the rural life don’t worry about smog or feeling confined.

4. The stars at night are big and bright.
This is not an understatement in rural areas of the Texas Hill Country. Don’t believe me? Try driving down a country road at night, pull over, turn your headlights off, and just step outside and look up! Without the lights of the city, the moon and the stars are free to light up the sky the way God intended. It is a spectacular sight!
5. The sunrise is breathtaking.
There is nothing more peaceful than watching a Hill Country sunrise. Folk living the rural life get to enjoy the romantic mix of blues, yellows, and pinks the sunrise brings completely unobstructed by tall, towering buildings and smog.

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