[cosmicray]

> People live in big cities

There is an assumption there (that isn't quite fair). Not everyone lives in a big city. I live in a remote rural area. I see (visually see) my neighbors maybe once a week. While it is quiet out here, and I can avoid stress, there isn't much to do. The nearest town is 6 miles away (~1K population), and the next larger is 12 miles. Like it or not, you end up doing a considerable bit of driving (in the car) just to meet basic needs. The nearest full service hospital is almost 40 miles. A long ride if you have an emergency.

The social scene here is divided into 3 basic groups: those who attend church (multiple times per week), those who attend (almost daily) services at their favorite bar, and those who have kids (and the typical events that kids are organized around).

The community, such as it is, is considerably more sparse than it would be in a large city. It is very easy to feel lonely, and depressed. Without the internet, my life would be quite different.

[eru]

Why are you living there?

[cosmicray]

Probably because I'm 14 years into a 30 year project... restoring a longleaf pine ecosystem.

A second reason is the night sky. There is no way to properly describe walking outside on a dark cold night, and looking up. Thousands of stars. The occasional bit of debris reentering in a blaze of fire across the sky. Staring at aircraft lights, wondering if they are passenger, military or something else. The dark night sky isn't really dark at all, it is full of wonder.

[eru]

Sounds like it's worth it.