Having grown up in a small town where everyone knew everyone and your neighbors went to school together and your cousins live down the road from you. There were no wild house parties, no extravagant proms, and there was no staying anonymous in your high school. My graduating class was the biggest my school had seen in awhile — 150 students walked at my graduation, and the lower classes had drastically less numbers.
When you grow up in a small town, your perspective of the world changes. You’re not used to busy streets and keeping your head down on your walk to work; you’re used to back roads going 55 mph and saying hi to your neighbors as you walk down the street.
You don’t know traffic, and stopping to talk to an old friend at the grocery store is commonplace.
Growing up in a small town gives you an appreciation for the little things in life. You appreciate how quiet it is every night, because there aren’t a plethora of cars driving by your open window.
You appreciate the local nature, and you know how to have a good time when everything in your town is closed. You don’t need to go somewhere or spend money to have fun, and when you do want to go out you know the best places — because you’ve been to them all.
But living in a small town can easily give you a sense of confinement. You frequently feel like you would much rather move somewhere larger, where there’s more to do and more to see. The idea of being that success story from a small town is appealing to you, and you can’t wait to see what life would hold if you pack your bags and leave.
Once you finally get a chance to leave, you feel a little lost. You don’t know your neighbors anymore — your neighbors might not even want to get to know you. And there are so many options for what to do when you want to go out; countless restaurants and clubs, and new ones are popping up all of the time.
You’re overwhelmed with the options, and you’ll realize that sometimes having endless opportunities leaves you more lonely than only having a few. You’ll reminisce your neighbor’s stories about her cat, and the safe feeling you had in your town.
As much as you say you’d love to get out of this godforsaken town and hitchhike to the closest big city, you know that a little piece of your heart will always stay be in your small and quiet hometown.
You’ll always appreciate that one pizza place that had the best chicken wing pizza, and you’ll always miss the quiet drives on the country back roads. And whether or not you decide to move back to a small town, you’ll know that growing up in one has shaped who you are as a person. Your appreciation of the little things will always be there, even in a big city.
