Growing up in a Small Town
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Growing up in a Small Town

Just my two cents on growing up in a small town, and how moving to a bigger city has changed that.

1006
Growing up in a Small Town
https://odysseyimages.s3.amazonaws.com/cropped_BylZovrHM.jpeg

My entire life, I have lived in a small town. Born and raised Wisconsinite, in a tiny town called Algoma. You have probably never heard of it unless you have gone to Door County, but even then maybe you do not remember it. Our population is around 3,000 people, resting on the shore of Lake Michigan. I go back and forth in my head trying to decide how I really feel about the place I call home. There are so many wonderful qualities about Algoma that make me truly proud, but then I move to a bigger city for college and everything is different.

Growing up in a small town is really great. I get to know all of my teachers, neighbors, classmates, church members, etc. And not only do I know who each of these people are, but also things about them that you might not know about each of them if you were living in a bigger city. Sure, I do not know EVERYONE. I mean, 3,000 is a relatively big number. But I do know that there is not a single person in my school that I do not know the name of. My graduating class was one of the largest classes since nearly the time my mom was in school, and we only had about 70 students.

Because everyone knows each other, we can always tell when new kids come to our school, when new neighbors move in a few blocks away, and especially when someone local passes away. Because we are all so close and our town is so small, a few things in particular often happen.. 

  1. If you have a new neighbor moving in, it is very common to stop by and offer to help move them in, bring them a dish of food, or even just drop by to say hi.
  2. When you are young, you play with everyone - the kid next door is your friend, the girl who lives next to the park is your friend, your classmates from school are your friends. Nobody is left out when you are little, and you know ALL of the kids.
  3. You see your classmates everywhere. Sarah works at the gas station, Jimmy works at Subway, and you work at the local cafe. No matter where you go, even driving downtown, you are most likely going to see one of your schoolmates. 
  4. You can barely get away with anything. Unless you have a super cool mom (and mine is pretty cool), you can not get away with anything. Brooklen’s mom Linda WILL tell your mom what you were doing at Josh’s house the other night when she overhears you and Brooklen talking about it in the basement.
  5. BUT because all of the moms, for the most part know each other, you can hang out with anyone at anytime. Unless you have a curfew, however (good luck getting out of that one).
  6. When you are little you love to go out shopping with mom regardless of whether you live in a small town or a big one, but when it comes to your teenage years you kind of want to do your own thing. When you live in a small town, that is not the case. You practically jump at the chance to get to drive 45+ minutes to get to Green Bay. Green Bay is about 35x more populated than Algoma and is filled with things to do.

Though growing up in a small town was a great experience, there are aspects of life I feel like I missed out on. Sure, we had some opportunities to travel and take advanced classes, but not nearly as many as I could have had living in a larger city. I grew up being shy because something traumatic happened in my life at a young age. I knew that everyone would eventually hear about what happened, but I was not ready for people to poke and prod me about it. To this day, I am still fighting to become more open as a person. 

Moving to Milwaukee was a HUGE adjustment for me. But all in all, it was the most freeing moment of my life. I now often look back on my past and can see how much I have changed. I know I have grown, but parts of me are still back in Algoma hoping things stay intact, while the rest of me holds on to the idea that more change is to come. And this change will only get better and better.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

43630
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

27443
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

952321
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

147372
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments