You don't realize just how awful your small town actually is until you move to an actual city for college. In small towns, you miss out on so much. Truthfully, it can be quite boring most of the time. Personally, I couldn't wait to leave my small town and move to a real city for school. After living in a city for only nine months, I didn't want to come back to my small town because it is actually the worst.
1. Everyone knows everyone else.
Sure, this may sound like a positive thing at first, but trust me, there's nothing good about it. You can't go out without seeing at least three people you know and they'll talk to you forever, especially when you're in a hurry. Sometimes I just want to run to Kroger in norts and a t-shirt with no makeup to get ice cream or frozen pizza without seeing what seems like my entire graduating class.
2. People are so nosy.
Because everyone knows everyone else here, they want to know the latest gossip. One person sees you doing something, and soon, the whole town basically knows. You go out on a date with someone, and both you and your date's parents know where you were, what you were doing, what you were wearing, and how the date was going before you even get home because people stick their noses in everything.
3. No Target.
I know, I know. It's crazy to live without a Target, but we do it. Target is a wonderful place full of great deals and everything you think you could ever need. Many of us, myself included, could spend all day and lots of money there. Once I moved to college where there were four Targets within just a few minutes from campus and I didn't know how I lived without one at home.
4. Limited shopping options.
We have what people call a "small mall" that consists of Belk, JcPenney, American Eagle, TJ Maxx, and Victoria's Secret, just to name the main stores. If we want any other stores, especially nicer, higher-end stores, we have to drive hours to find them or shop online. As for outlet malls? None of those either; you have to drive hours for those, too.
5. The bubble.
Many people never leave their small town their entire life, so they don't know anything else. People in small towns have a mentality that this is all that there is, and this is the best place on the planet. People don't see a reason to leave, even to visit somewhere else. They live in their own little bubble that is their small town.
6. Small schools.
I went to a small, independent public school. It's almost unheard of to go to private school here. The public schools are fine; however, I did not feel adequately prepared for college at all. Compared to public schools in big cities, we had very limited classes and very limited opportunities. My entire school was as large as one class of some schools in larger cities.
7. Politics at school.
The students who were awarded certain scholarships from our high school and surrounding area received them because the committee all knew the kid's parents and was friends with them. Because of our small school size, the staff knew everyone and their parents, and it was no secret that certain kids were very much favored because of their parents.
8. Limited places to eat.
There are several crappy fast food places that aren't very good. As far as sit down restaurants go, you only have a couple options. Nothing even comparable to a place like The Cheesecake Factory, which is good, but not fancy. If you're planning on going out to eat on a weekend, be prepared to wait because since there are so few restaurants, they're always busy.
9. Nothing to do.
Bored on the weekend? In a small town, your options are extremely limited; you can go eat, see a movie, or shop at the "small mall." However, in a larger city, you don't have this problem; there are countless things to do and places to explore in a larger city. The events of the year in small towns are local graduations and county fairs.
10. No one leaves.
People are born here, grow up here, marry someone they went to high school with, have kids here, send their kids to their alma mater, and the cycle continues. Small towns are vacuums that try to suck you in so you never leave. Some people can't even handle going away for college, so they come back. Some people stay because they can't imagine anything better.
