Living in a small town always gets romanticized in Hallmark films and Midwestern sitcoms, but there’s a lot about small-town life that never gets explored. Here are 16 experiences that you’ll only understand if you grew up in a town where everyone knew each other and there wasn’t much to do.
1. Using public transport scares you.
It seems dramatic, but public transport isn’t really a thing when you travel to more rural areas. This meant you were really reliant on your parents to get you around when you were younger, which sucked. Getting on buses and subways wasn’t an experience you had often back then, so you’re still wary of it now.
2. You were always aware of money.
It seemed like you were always hyper-aware of any activity that required money when you were younger because it meant you’d have to ask your parents for a ride, then for the cost of the event, then for the present, etc. It was a big pressure for a young kid and it stayed with you into adulthood.
3. You’re always amazed by mediocre cities.
My friends who grew up in London and Boston were always incredulous that I was impressed by Birmingham. If you haven’t been to the UK before, trust me — I was firmly in the minority in terms of being enraptured by Birmingham. However, it has a big shopping center and is easy to get around, so that was exciting to me. People who grew up in small towns know all too well how awesome these very mediocre conveniences can be.
4. You never had a gym pass before.
Running is free, and when you live miles away from the next built-up area, you can get a lot of steps in. Moving into a city makes you realize the value of having an on-site gym with all the machines in one place. Sure, it’s nice to run in the countryside or around your block, but there’s a certain charm about being able to join group fitness classes because the population is big enough to actually allow it.
5. A day out was a walk to the movies.
I’ll set the scene: you and the rest of your 14-year-old friends gathered at the house of whoever reluctantly agreed to host. £10 in your pocket for the movie tickets and the sound of plastic rustling as you sneak your snacks into the theatre. You’d giggle through the film, race back all hyper from the sugar, and crash for the sleepover. This was the routine until worryingly late into your teen years.
6. There was no bar within, like, 10 miles.
When going to the movies got old even for your small-town minds, your focus switched to alcohol. Not for very long, of course; the nearest bar was several towns away so we had to wait until most people your age had already had several seasons of raves before you had a tipple.
7. You get used to long drives.
Podcasts and playlists were your best friends — while you’re driving to SEE your friends, that is. You also grew comfortable in your own company and could quote any lyrics to any Noughties song since so often, you had nothing but you and your endless cassette/CD collection to keep you company on the way to your destination.
8. You always feel behind the times.
No matter how many times you tried to read all the magazines, flip through the latest bestseller, and watch the summer blockbuster, you were always chasing the game. While it’s certainly not true that people in small towns are less sophisticated than those in big cities, it does seem like the flow of information took a much slower route to you growing up.
9. People will ask you if you know their friend.
People will ask what town you lived in and immediately squirm with excitement when they realize they have a friend who lived there 50 years ago. Your thirtysomething or older self will slowly shake your head when they ask if you know them. Why would you?!
10. People have never heard of your town.
If you’re talking to someone from outside of your state (or even your county), you don’t get much further than saying that you’re “near [name closest big city].” After that, you have to grin and bear it as they try to name the towns they do actually know about, none of which are remotely near the one you grew up in.
11. Your friends and family never visit.
It doesn’t matter because you’re so comfortable driving everywhere, but very few people made the effort to visit where you grew up. Sadly, nowadays you don’t get back to your hometown nearly as much. It’s just inconvenient to get to and there’s so little to do there that it doesn’t seem worth the journey.
12. You never used to think you wanted to live in a city.
I, much like the rest of the world when thinking about something I’d never experienced before, could never see the appeal of living in a city. Now, having gotten over the initial suspicion of city life that everyone in my town seemed to have, I crave the buzz, glitz, and glamor of it all. However if you grew up in a small town, you might have imagined your life being that way forever.
13. Everyone thinks you grew up on a farm.
You said you grew up in a less metropolitan environment, but you didn’t say you spent your days herding cattle. For some reason, the term “small town” has become synonymous with “open farmland” in many people’s minds. In reality, most small towns are just normal suburban places, no barnyard animals in sight.
14. People at work can’t understand your quiet life.
People who meet you now fail to conceive of how you could have ever come from a quieter part of the state/country. All they see is the person before them doing shots at the bar. It’s always satisfying to challenge people’s perception of you.
15. You still remember that time the town closed the only department store.
Whether it was a Woolworths or a Sears, every generation of kids will have a memory of when the first chain store that disappeared — small town kids more than most. We all remember walking by the empty, unfilled lot where you used to go to for new school shoes.
16. Your first job was really random.
My first job wasn’t milking a cow, but it was changing the oil in cars at my Dad’s shop. Whether you worked at the custard stand or helped out at the local carwash, you got more responsibility with those kinds of things back in the day. They provided a unique experience that you got living in a small town that you’ll always cherish.
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