Busy city life or quiet country?

I meant to write about this when NF and I went to the Little House on the Prairie but never got around to it.

NF lives in a very small town. And he always wants to live in a small town or in the country. I told him that the idea of living in a small town is still hard for me probably because I've never lived in a small town that I've actually liked. He asked what it would take for me to live in a small town. . .I said it would depend on the town itself. It would have to be a nice small town that still has something going for it and it would have to be near a larger town or city so when I get into a mood that I need a faster pace or need to go shopping, I can. Also the people I'd be around would make a difference. And schools and opportunities available. If I'm lucky enough to have kids, I want them to be able to have the chance to do things they want to.

I thought more about it later and realized that I am more likely to live in the country or something rather than live in a city now. I have realized that I am still not too crazy about Wichita. I love going to visit NF in his little town (although his town falls into the category of the falling apart type small town I would not like). The drive is so relaxing; it's a wonderful drive through the country. And I have gotten to drive through Winfield a few times and I actually really like it. For a comparison, it's about the size of Vandalia, IL. A little nicer than Van though.
So I thought about it further. . .I want to live somewhere someday that I can have enough land to have a garden. And a horse. And maybe even chickens so I can have fresh eggs. The more I am in the city (even a smaller city like Wichita), the more I realize I want, as the Dixie Chicks song says, "Wide Open Spaces."

One of the things I really like about NF is the fact that he likes old houses. And instead of actually having a real old house that has to be renovated he wants to build a house that looks old which is fine with me. I've always said that if I can't have an actual old house, I want one that just looks old. So sometimes I start daydreaming about our big new/old house with a wrap-around house in the country with a couple of horses (he likes them too!) and our chickens. And a dog and maybe a few cats. I'll have a room where I can paint and sew and work on crazy projects I get in my head. Obviously there will still be things about the country or a small town that will be annoying and stressful and I'll sometimes wish I was still in the city, but I like the idea of being away from all the distractions that living in a city can bring. I still don't let myself daydream too much about who I will necessarily share the house in the country with. Who knows about that.
I wonder what matters more to me, where I live or who I'm around and living with? Home is such a fluid concept for me. And I don't know if it's just me or if it's more of a girl thing or what, but I think home for me isn't going to necessarily have to do completely with where I am. Of course, I'm going to want to like the town and place I live . . . oh I don't know. Who knows.

I do know though...I really want to live somewhere that I can have a garden. And a place where I can always look out my window and be able to see the stars. And a storm when its rolling in. And a basement for the eventual tornado that will come blasting through ;-)