Big factor for me is whether or not either of you have lived rural before.
I worked in a very remote medical center not too far from where you're considering. I needed to send a patient to a hospital for a severe infection one of my first days there. Life flight refused because of winter weather. The ambulance driver came to me and quietly asked if the patient really needed to go today. After I told him yes it was striking to see them strap tire chains, shovels, and a generator to the exterior before leaving. They really weren't sure they were going to get to town that night.
You miss out on many of the benefits of modern medicine when you're in a town of less than 20,000, and you'll need to be ok with driving for hours for specialist care in a city of less than 100,000.
I-80 in Wyoming closes so often for weather that they have permanently installed gates across all lanes.
That being said, an adventurous and self-reliant lifestyle is one of the best things you can do for your health and longevity. If you know what you are getting into and think this would help you thrive, I'd say go for it with the agreement that if health changes you will move back to a city.
Big factor for me is whether or not either of you have lived rural before.
I worked in a very remote medical center not too far from where you're considering. I needed to send a patient to a hospital for a severe infection one of my first days there. Life flight refused because of winter weather. The ambulance driver came to me and quietly asked if the patient really needed to go today. After I told him yes it was striking to see them strap tire chains, shovels, and a generator to the exterior before leaving. They really weren't sure they were going to get to town that night.
You miss out on many of the benefits of modern medicine when you're in a town of less than 20,000, and you'll need to be ok with driving for hours for specialist care in a city of less than 100,000.
I-80 in Wyoming closes so often for weather that they have permanently installed gates across all lanes.
That being said, an adventurous and self-reliant lifestyle is one of the best things you can do for your health and longevity. If you know what you are getting into and think this would help you thrive, I'd say go for it with the agreement that if health changes you will move back to a city.