Living in a small rural town is one of those things where you either love it, or you hate it. There are tons of people who love living in rural areas, and there are others who can't stand living in a small town. As someone from a small town in a rural area of Upstate New York, I know that there are some things that only people who have lived in a similar community truly understand, like how half the people you have gone to high school with are probably farmers, or how there isn't much to do unless you feel like doing drugs and tipping cows.
1. The scenery is beautiful.
When you live in the middle of nowhere, you see all kinds of great scenery that people who live in the city don't usually get to see. Fields, mountains, rivers, forests, and other parts of nature create a feeling of serenity and generally set a calming mood. The way everything looks during autumn makes it even better. Some people actually come from the city just to see some of these things! I know that I'll miss it a little once I move.
2. You have to make your own fun.
Living in a small town means that there most likely isn't anything too interesting to do. Pretty much the only thing there is to do is go to the nearest place that sells pizza or sleep and go on the internet all day. If you're lucky, you have good friends to do those things with. If not, you're stuck trying to entertain yourself.
3. Amish people are EVERYWHERE.
To anyone that doesn't live near them or hasn't met any of them, it's kind of a novelty to see them around. I lived close to Amish farms for a large portion of my life, so I'm used to it. You see them on the road with their horses and buggies and you see them in the grocery store and everywhere else. Some stores in town even have one of those things where they can tie up their horses while they go into the store. The one thing that does mildly frustrate me is the "presents" that they leave all over the side of the road from their horses.
4. You know what else is everywhere? Donald Trump supporters.
One thing I've noticed is that the amount of people who support Donald Trump is so much more concentrated in a small, rural area than it is in larger cities. It's most likely because many people in rural places tend to lean more towards the conservative end of the spectrum. Not everyone does, of course, but many of the people I've met from around here are definitely more conservative than others.
5. Everyone hears about everything.
It's a good thing I don't do much of anything for anyone to gossip about, because I constantly see other people talking about every little thing that people do. One person sees something that they think is scandalous, and the next day everyone in town and their grandmother knows about it and they're either silently or not so silently judging the person the rumor was about. Even after you graduate from high school, the gossiping is still something you'll probably have to deal with.
6. There are a ton of churches.
Small towns typically have several churches scattered throughout the area, and they're all for the same religion. There are more than enough churches, and along with that comes a lot of religious people.
7. There isn't much diversity.
The lack of diversity in communities like mine is definitely noticeable. 90% of the population is white and/or Christian, and there are very few people of other races or religions around. Since there is very little diversity, I've noticed that more people are intolerant of anyone that isn't straight or white.
8. Uber isn't a thing.
People who live in a city are lucky. They pretty much always have a ride to wherever they want. Here, if you want to get somewhere, you either have to walk or get a ride from a friend if you don't have a car. When the thing on Facebook Messenger pops up and suggests that I request a ride from Uber or Lyft, I laugh because I already know that it's not a thing where I live. If I don't have my own ride to get somewhere, I'm out of luck. Guess who's spending their night alone with Netflix and some ice cream? Me, that's who.
9. The houses are cheaper.
Housing is so much cheaper than it is in a city. A decent sized house in a heavily populated area like New York City, for example, can be ridiculously priced, but a decent house in a smaller town usually costs a reasonable amount of money.
10. There aren't many career opportunities.
Unless you are a farmer or like working at McDonald's, there are very few places to work. If you're a teenager looking for a summer or part time job, it's not a big deal. Although if you are a fully grown adult trying to support yourself and maybe even a family, good luck to you.
11. It's difficult to play Pokemon Go.
It gets frustrating to play Pokemon Go when there are little to no Pokestops or gyms anywhere near you and the only Pokemon you can catch are birds and caterpillars. I have never seen a rare Pokemon in my town, and I have to bike about 5 miles to the next town over to get to a gym. I'm currently sitting in a puddle of my own sweat after doing so today. It's only a minor inconvenience, but I have to admit that Pokemon Go does get a little dull after having it for a month and only finding weedles and pidgeys. It's just not as entertaining when your town only has a couple of Pokestops and no gyms.
