The global population is aging rapidly, and older adults have a myriad of unique healthcare challenges. One of these is Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Though ADRD cases are expected to triple by 2050, there is not yet a cure and pharmacological research has been unsuccessful; therefore, researchers are focusing on interventions on modifiable risk factors to prevent the disease. In my work, I use a mixed-methods, cross-cultural approach to study the relationship between loneliness and cognition, with the goal of contributing to the corpus of knowledge on the social environment’s impact on health. This can aid in developing culturally relevant interventions to prevent ADRD. Older adults are more vulnerable to loneliness, and it has been linked to cognitive function. However, loneliness is complex, as it is a subjective metric and there are no clinical cutpoints for loneliness. Literature is also mixed on the impact of loneliness on aging in rural areas; some studies find that the tight-knit social networks that often exist are protective, while others find that distance contributes to loneliness’s negative effects. Here, I share lessons learned from my qualitative work, which is being conducted via participatory observation in an adult day center and interviews with adults 65+ in a rural-adjacent mid-sized city in the midwestern U.S. Many older adults from surrounding rural counties either travel to this city for their medical care or relocate here to be closer to family members and other amenities as they age, and thus access the adult day center. Interview questions cover the life course, from early life and education to midlife and work to current challenges. My interviews and observations document and uncover variations in loneliness experiences between different types of older adults and how experiences across the life course impact aging. This work is also being used to guide similar field research in a comparable community in Germany.