It’s no mystery that a big city and a small town are worlds apart from one another, but what is it that makes someone fit in better in one place rather than the other? And what is it that makes that person fit in differently than the next?
I could go into great detail and talk all day about the many differences between the two worlds, but I’d rather give you a brief overview of the few differences I have experienced myself, moving from a big city to a small town.
I could also state the obvious, like the differences in population, but we can all already assume such a thing. The move I made a couple of years ago was from Nampa, Idaho up to Lewiston, Idaho. Most people haven’t even really heard of Nampa, so I just tell them it’s in the Boise area, and is growing to be almost as large and popular as Boise itself. Many of the people who live in Lewiston have lived here most, if not all, of their lives, and they might not see it as such a small town as I do.
The first difference I noticed when I first relocated to Lewiston was that there were hardly any stores. At all. The one “shopping mall” that exists here consists of no more than 10 stores, and that’s no shopping mall to me. Shopping malls have never really mattered to me, but there are hardly any stores here in general. There’s not even a Wal Mart in this town, but it is in the next town over. I convinced myself that that’s just how small towns were, so it was something I should get used to, because I’ve always wanted to live in a smaller town.
The most convenient thing about living somewhere smaller was that I could get just about everywhere in 15 minutes or less. In big cities, you’ll spend more time than that just on the freeway. I no longer have to leave 30 minutes to an hour early in case of traffic, because there is no traffic here.
Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE will talk to you, whether for better or worse, and this scared me at first. I’ve warmed up to the idea of everyone being either super friendly or super rude. Most big cities are known to be full of rude and uninviting people. I love the warm and welcoming feeling I get in this town, although I’ve encountered a fair share of rude people, who are normally drunk.
Moving from a big city to a small town was possibly the best decision I’ve made in a long time. I don’t miss the traffic, crowded places, and rude drivers. I’m totally okay with sacrificing the resources a big city offers in trade for this calm and quiet place. I still enjoy the change of scenery, even though I’ve been here a couple years. It’s a whole new world here, and I’ve just started my life.
