I guess it all depends on your perspective. The thought of riding in the city scares me to death

Illinois has official bicycle maps which will show you the best and safest country roads to ride. These are published by the Secretary of State, divided into separate regions of the state, and are free. Pick one up for your location and start finding some routes to ride.

You can also map out some routes by using Map My Ride or Ride With GPS and start riding. I don't know which direction you to moved from the city but it sounds like you live on a busy highway. That would scare me too. Do you have a bike rack on your car? Load that bike up and drive to a quieter, safer location to ride. I'm sure there are plenty of roads to ride, you just need to find them. You can also find some local charity rides that are well supported. This will give you an idea of what roads to ride and might help you meet some other cyclists in the area that aren't a-holes. League of Illinois Bicyclists has a list of charity rides on their site.

It won't be long before you will start to enjoy the peace and tranquility of riding country roads. Yes, you will have your occasional idiot that trys to run you over or a farm dog that runs in front of your bike, but overall I prefer it to riding in the city.