Here are 15 things everyone from a small town can relate to.
1. Recognizing everyone everywhere you go.
Oh hey, so-and-so just drive by in their car! Oh, hey, I didn't know you work here!
2. Not being afraid to walk around the streets at night because you know the most that will happen is a dog barking.
Crimes are not really a big thing in small towns, just because the people who settle down there are looking for lives of peace and quiet.
3. Knowing every street around town and feeling like a ~Class A~ tour guide when company visits.
And over there is one of the only stoplights in town. And there's the town gas station. Isn't it great?
4. Not only knowing your classmates, but also knowing their parents, siblings, and all their hopes and dreams.
You might also know an aunt or uncle, maybe a grandma or grandpa too. Heck, throw in all the extended family depending on how close you are with them. Also, you know where they're going to college and what they want to do with their lives, because who doesn't around town?
5. Knowing all the gossip around town because nothing is hidden in a community that small.
You may not even know the person that well, but you definitely know what they're up to and what drama they're involved in...at all times.
6. Feeling incredibly proud when your town takes a business step up in the world.
In late 2016, my high school's town finally got--get ready for this--a Dollar General. It was the talk to the town, everyone was so excited. Especially since it's a two minute walk from the school, it was really convenient senior year.
7. Laughing snootily when people tell you they came from a "small town" of 10,000 people.
Yeah, okay, hun. I came from a town of 557, so get off your high horse.
8. The fair is basically the biggest event all year.
The stands are always packed for the demolition derby. I thought the demolition derby was a thing everywhere, but apparently only small country towns enjoy watching people smash old cars into each other until the last one is left standing.
9. There is no high school. There is only a "Central School" which encompasses ALL grades.
Less than 500 kids from about ten different towns gathered under the roof of my old school. The high school area was separate from the elementary, but trust me, we still saw a lot of little kids.
10. Having to use a big city to explain where you're from in proximity to that.
Do you know where the capital is? Yeah, I'm like an hour southwest from there.
11. People riding dirt bikes and snowmobiles to school.
GiphySeeing snowmobiles in the parking lot was a common sight in the wintertime. No one cared. We were used to it.
12. "Parties" are basically just people gathered around a bonfire in the woods.
The after-prom party is always just a bunch of kids hanging out around a huge fire fooling around. Trust me, country high school parties are nothing like the high school parties of the movies.
13. Having about 15-20 farms scattered around a ten mile radius.
GiphyI personally live in between two farms, and my high school was right across from a farm. That made it interesting--sometimes the whole school would smell like manure. Didn't help that everyone wore their work boots to class.
14. Hating the fact that your town is so small and constantly dissing it.
Ugh, this town is too small! I can't wait to graduate. I have to get out of here...
15. But at the end of the day knowing it holds a special place in your heart and you will always love it.
Home is not a place, it's a feeling. And it's undeniable that if you grew up in a small town, you'll never forget the feeling.
man running in forestPhoto by 
