I did. I left three times- once for university, and twice because of work. Each time, it was predicted that I'd fail to cope, and run home with my tail between my legs. Almost five years have passed since I last left, and I have no intention of ever going back.
I grew up in a village where my entire extended family lived within a three mile radius, and has done since the Dawn of Time. I like most of them dearly, but... it was suffocating. I didn't want to stay there forever, send my children to the same schools, etc. It was expected that I'd grow up there, get married, have children, and stay there forever. Unfortunately, all I had wanted from my teens onwards was to escape. It is lucky that I did, because the village is now being swallowed up by a large town with a notorious reputation, and it's nice to live somewhere where people either haven't heard of it, or go, "Oh, X is a lovely place!"
The privacy here, 80 miles away, is AMAZING! I can go to a shop and not see anyone that I'm related to! The independence is also incredible, and I still feel terribly rebellious for driving in the dark, or driving on the motorway (I was frequently warned how dangerous it was). I have more freedom, and I don't get guilt-tripped into doing things by family. In short, it is liberating!
I now have family members who feel trapped there, by work, family ties and so on. I appreciate that it was easier for me, because I was doing it on my own, and didn't have to convince anyone else to come with me!