When I tell people that I grew up in a really small town in the woods they never believe me. My town boasts a population of around 7,500 and a population density of about 275 people per square mile. To put this into perspective, New York City's population density is around 70,000 per square mile. I seriously do live in a really small town in the woods. There are certain things about growing up in a small town you don't understand unless you experience it yourself. Here are 12 of those things.
1. When someone asks you where you’re from, the best way to explain to them is to tell them the closest city/more well known town.
But then they’ll insist on asking what exact town you live in. Spoiler alert: 9 times out of 10 they’ve never heard of it.
2. The deer population is larger than the human population.
3. You can identify anyone in town by what car they drive.
And it really screws you up when people get a new car.
4. But make sure you don’t blink when driving through the center of town or you’ll miss it.
5. If you live in a really small town, there is nowhere to go.
My town’s retail industry consists of a village store, the post office (featured in the picture above), and a breakfast place that has almost been there since my town’s creation three hundreds years ago. So unless you want to mail a package or buy really expensive milk, you’re going to have to leave town.
6. Therefore, in order to get anywhere significant, it’s at least a 10 or 15 minute drive.
7. Odds are, you and all of your friends are Eskimo sisters.
There are only so many guys to go around.
8. Your college probably has more students than your town has people.
Or you went to a really small college approximately the size of your high school because you couldn’t imagine anything different.
9. You cannot go anywhere without running into someone you know -- the library, the gym, the doctor’s office.
Actually you probably know someone who dated your doctor’s son.
10. You know everything, about everyone.
Walking through the hallways of high school, I knew every single person I passed by.
11. If you did something wrong over the weekend, by Monday morning the entire school knew.
12. As much as you complain about how boring and uneventful your town is, you know that you found a community as close as they come and that’s something you’ll always be grateful for.
