In my experience, growing up in a small town has both its ups and its downs. But no matter what, I will always love my home.
Definitely, one of my favorite things about living in a small town is all the “Mom and Pop” shops. Main Street was always lined with a ton of clothing stores and random little knick-knack shops that were fun to walk into and see what they had that day. When school let out, walking to town with your friends and getting a quick bite to eat at one of the local cafes was the thing to do. When we were in need of coffee, we went to the cafe, not Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. And in my opinion, this is WAY better. I find myself at college always reminiscing about that amazing chai latte that I can’t get anywhere else but home.
Living in a small town, you get amazing one of a kind restaurants that you can’t get anywhere else. I loved that I was able to go to a restaurant and try something different that was made with locally grown ingredients rather than going to a chain restaurant like Applebee’s or TGI Friday’s (which were over 30 minutes away anyway).
Unfortunately, living in a small town meant everything was far away. If you wanted to go to the mall or the gym, it was at least a 35-minute drive.
Coming to college, I quickly realized parties were completely different than in high school. Growing up in a small country town, our parties consisted of a bonfire in the woods with country music and rather than getting dressed up wearing heels and a crop top, everyone wears jeans, boots and a baggy sweatshirt.
Summer means ice cream with friends almost anywhere you are, but is your ice cream made from the local farm right down the street? I didn’t think so. In my town, you were considered extremely lucky because everyone from NYC came here to get a taste of the homemade ice cream and a glimpse of the spectacular view, but you had it right in your backyard.
(Location: Bellvale Farms Creamery Warwick, NY)
If you live in a small town, you probably have a festival for some random food every year. In my hometown, we have a festival just for apples. Surprisingly, it is extremely popular and people travel over an hour just to come.
Living in a small town, the roads you drive on aren’t very busy so you have to be extremely careful when driving at night because a family of possums will run out in front of your car.
You feel like everyone owns a truck (it’s not true), but it’s definitely helpful when you’re trying to go up gravel hills and not get stuck.
You got stuck behind a tractor driving to school every day…
You have experienced some of the most beautiful scenery there is and all you had to do was walk out your door. Living in a big city or the suburbs, you don’t get to see many spectacular views every day, but if you’re from a small town you have these views right in your backyard.
(Location: Stairway to Heaven Vernon, NJ)
Despite the ups and downs, if you grew up in a small town, you love the local feel and wouldn’t trade your childhood for anything.
XOXO,
Your small town girl