I live on a little piece of land about 30 miles north of Tucson. I like the relative peace and quiet, the space, and the flora and fauna out here but there are a few things to keep in mind.
The commute. It's a pain in the ass to have to drive for 30min just to get a gallon of milk at the nearest grocery store. It was sheer hell when gas prices were up around $4 a gallon.
Likewise, no one ever wants to come over. It's just too far. Get used to your friends making lots of excuses (or always driving in to town to hand out at their place instead). I can understand but it kind of makes one feel a bit unliked.
We couldn't find a high speed ISP for over four years. That was a long time to deal with sloth-like dial-up. There's still no cable out here so satellite TV is almost must.
Emergency response time. If someone gets hurt, the house catches fire, or someone's trying to kick down your door, it may take a good long while for the relevant authorities to show up. This has got me seriously considering purchasing a firearm for home defense.
Those are the biggies. All, in all, I think rural living is worth it, though.
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