Life in the city is challenging. Yes, there are activities galore. Shopping is convenient and the presence of public transportation reduces the demand for private transportation and the accompanying expenses. City life provides all the advantages of modern society including the distractions available in the arts, theater, and other forms of entertainment. But city life carries a heavy price.

Housing and food are expensive. Services, such as transportation, are costly and almost mandatory. Worst of all, the city's most expensive component of life is the toll it takes on your body through stress.

Stress is present with every waking moment in the city. The crowds, traffic, and tight work schedules never let up. The air is not healthy. The poisons of thousands of vehicles overwhelm what little green life remains to clean the air. Crime is high in most cities. The odds of becoming a victim are high even for simple trips to the local grocery or ATM. The brain and body are continuously bombarded by environmental pollutants that diminishes the human spirit. Opportunities to relax are few and short. Stress builds. Quality of life declines.

The city dweller looks forward to a day out of the city. Historically, movement patterns have been from the city to the suburbs and later to the country. Escape becomes the order of the day. Each move to the outer boundaries of the urban environment makes life a little more peaceful. The move to the country is the most significant move of all.

Peaceful is the most succinct description of the country. The night is quiet. Soft insect noises and the plaintive call of an owl rule the stillness. No heavy traffic, no sirens, no rush of the "madding crowd." Life is simple and calming. Food is grown locally, instead of remotely. Everyone knows your name and has been to your grandparents' house. The country offers advantages to the harried city dweller that can reduce stress, induce health, and present familiarity.