College is all about gaining new perspectives in all different areas. When you drive back home on the winding dirt roads that never used to phase you for the first time in months, you may notice that you've overlooked things that were normal occurrences growing up in a small town that are foreign to everyone else. Listed below are some of the most common things that have been brought to my attention by outsiders as out of the ordinary.
1. Everything stays with you.
In such small towns, everyone knows everyone and their mothers. Which has its ups, don't get me wrong, but that YouTube video you made in the sixth grade that you used to think was funny will never, ever escape you.
2. Trees.
You may think you have trees in your town, but you'd be surprised how much more oxygenated your air could be. Not all towns have roads that are lined with trees or houses with hiking trails in the backyard.
3. Farms.
After passing farm after farm while driving around my town, people tell me they're surprised I don't listen to more country music. People struggle to believe you when you say you've been late because you got stuck behind a tractor. Seriously there are yield signs with tractors on them and also some with horses.
4. No street lights.
Not once, but twice, have I had friends from school visit me down in the middle of nowhere and the first words out of their mouths were not "omg hey Keri I missed you so much" but "your town is weird, where are all the street lights." If I were to be honest, I didn't even know it was a thing towns usually had until it was pointed out.
5. Everything is spaced out.
There's an average of a 15 minute drive to basically any and everything. Sometimes it even takes half an hour to get to some of my friend's houses. Hour-long round trips aren't a normal thing in most towns, but when you have more cows than people in your town, it's a reality.
6. Two town high schools.
I've met people who went to private high schools or were rivals with the other public high school for their town and it's hard for some to fathom the idea of having such a small population that the high school actually had to be composed of two towns. And even stranger is the idea that, to this day, you could name each and every one of your classmates.
7. Unpaved roads.
Driving feels more like a roller coaster ride, but in the worst way possible. Contrary to popular belief, the reason there are so many Jeeps in your town isn't because of all the rich parents spoiling their kids, but actually because off-road terrain vehicles are required to get around.
8. People wear Timberland boots for a real purpose.
This one may be the strangest. Someone wearing Timberland work boots on a farm or while cutting down wood? Absurd! We all know those were made for guys to wear with sweatpants and girls to try and make a fashion statement with.
