If you’re from a small town, you may be seeing things differently than the rest of the world. Whether you were born and raised in one or moved to raise your family, small towns dot the United States from coast to coast. Don’t worry that your town’s population doesn’t compare to that of New York or Los Angeles, you’re still in good company.

1. Boredom is just a state of mind.

In a small town, there’s not much going on. If you’re lucky, maybe your town had a bowling alley or movie theater, but most of us didn’t have that luxury. You learn to make the most of what you have. You have some wood? Looks like we’re having a bonfire tonight. You have a full tank of gas? Let’s go for a ride with the windows down. You have a few bucks in your wallet? How about a late night run to one of the few fast food chains you have in town. Don’t have anything? You’ll figure something out.

2. The grocery store is your community center.

If you go to the Walmart, even if it’s only for 10 minutes, you’re bound to see someone you went to school with, are related to, or a family friend. Every aisle is blocked by two old ladies gossiping, and the cashiers recognize you every time you check out.

3. Some places are stuck in the past.

It’s sad to say, but small towns are often stuck a few years, if not decades, behind more populated areas of the country. Technology, buildings, and societal beliefs are often a little… retro. It’s not uncommon to hear elderly members of the community saying something slightly racist, homophobic, or sexist. They’re given a pass because “it’s just the time period they were raised in,” but it doesn’t stop us from cringing a little bit.

4. You know where everything is and how long it’ll take you to get there.

If anyone ever needs directions, you’ve got it. Forget the GPS, just take a left at the gas station, turn right at the post office, and go straight through the only stoplight in town. Plus, once you leave the three square miles that are your town limits, you can drive a mile a minute.

5. You’ll be judged based off of the actions of your older siblings and family members.

If you have the same teacher as your older siblings, good luck. You’ll get judged before you even step foot in the classroom based on how your sibling acted. Your family gets assigned a collective reputation by the rest of the town. If it’s good, you can do no wrong. If it’s bad, you’ll have to work extra hard to convince people you aren’t causing trouble wherever you go.

6. You have to be careful dating, because you could be distant cousins.

It seems like you either know everyone in a small town or are related to them. Having family ties from one side of town to the other can be dangerous. The same families live in the same town for generations. They marry each other, exchange last names, and have kids. Do your research before you get involved with someone in your small town--you very well might be distantly related.

7. You’re used to driving at least a half an hour to get to a different town.

If you want to go anywhere outside of your small town, get ready for a short road trip. Forget about walking anywhere, and there’s no public transportation to be found. Your trip from one town will take some time, and there won’t be much other than fields and woods to look at as you go.

8. Traffic jams are caused by tractors and trains.

In small towns, you don’t get traffic jams from hundreds of people all leaving work at the same time. Tractors, trains, school bus stops, and the elderly crossing the road are the most common culprits when it comes to traffic--and by small town traffic, I mean more than three cars stopped behind each other.

9. School rivalries are intense.

Remember how I said there wasn’t much to do? From a very young age, you pledge your allegiance to your local high school. You go to all their sporting events, rock their school colors, patiently await your years at the school and then reminisce after you leave. More importantly than all that, you and all of your fellow fans stand together against a common enemy--the high school from the next town over.

10. There are no secrets.

In such a small town with nothing to do, people love to talk. Your business becomes everyone's business and people tend to know things about you before you do. Don’t even try to keep something hidden; in time, everything comes out and everyone will be talking about it.

Whether you loved living in your small town or hated it, whether you still live there or escaped to the big city, your small town helped make you who you are today.