Ponyboy claims about this journey: "This is the country, I thought half asleep. My dream's come true and I'm in the country."
This is ultimately ironic because Ponyboy's fantasy about living in the country always involved him living a more peaceful life; now that he has finally ended up in the country, he is there as a result of extreme disruption and to hide from the police. The environment is right, and the circumstances are all wrong.