Going from a small town to a big city was a major adjustment. People weren't as kind, nobody waves, there is more violence, and a lot of other differences happened. There have been many times that I wish I knew what to be prepared for, but I am thankful that it is my new home.
Some things that are different:
The People.
Don't get me wrong, I have met a ton of sweethearts in Norfolk...but I have also met a ton of rude individuals too. There have been many times that I wonder to myself, "Why are people so mean?" so I have gotten used to individuals not caring about other people. People truly don't care what you think when it comes to topics that a Southern home would have discussions over. In a small town, if you go to the grocery store you are bound to see at least three other people that you know and hold a 20 minute conversation with them.
The Food.
Living in a small town, you had one option...Tastee Freeze. Yes, we have a Hardees, Ginos, Delrays, and Subway. But if your grandparents wanted to take you out for ice-cream, there is no Cold Stone or Sweet Frog, there is Tastee Freeze. We only have one grocery store and everything is closed at 11 PM, so everyone could go to bed as soon as they go home.
The Places.
You want to hangout with friends in a small town? Go sit in a pickup truck and listen to music while socializing in the middle of a gas station or Family Dollar parking lot. We don't have ice-skating, fancy restaurants, bowling alleys, or even a movie theater, all of that takes at least 30 minutes to get to.
Shopping.
You have an event at 6PM that you have nothing to wear for? Well there's not a mall to go to, so you better call up your best friend down the road to see if she has any cute clothes for you to wear. The big city has 5 malls in a 20 minute radius when my small town has 5 malls in a 2 hour radius.
News.
If someone got pulled over, you better hope that mommy and daddy don't already know before you get home so your best bet is to go ahead and tell them. Small towns keep their scanner on like it's the weather channel. There's a fire? You'll get a call from Billy and Jean to make sure no one was hurt. There's a death in the family? You won't need to cook for another week as everyone is stopping by to bring more food for you to eat. Anything major like someone hitting a bear or catching a huge fish makes the headline of the newspaper.
Small towns may not have a lot, but we do have each other and that is all that matters. In a big city, I doubt you know your neighbors when I can walk over to mine and ask if they have any sugar to finish cooking something. I wouldn't change a single day here in Small Town, USA.
