Growing up in a small town can be a boring, yet humbling, experience. No matter where you may have grown up, if there were only a couple thousand people in your town, or even a couple hundred, you'll most likely be able to relate to this.
There's only one grocery store
For me, it was Kroger. There is always that one grocery store in every small town that is always frustratingly busy, which makes sense, since it's the only place in town to get your groceries. Sometimes, if you're lucky, your town will have a small farmers market or local produce store, but most of the time, you're stuck at Kroger or Publix walking around like packed sardines.
You walked everywhere
Why waste gas is everything is in walking distance? If you grew up in a small town, you most likely recall walking to your local hot spots. For me, it was to the one Starbucks in my town and bagel joint, or to the gas station with the one dollar slushies. Sometimes my best friend and I would just walk around our neighborhood because in a small town there's not much else to do.
Everyone knows everyone
In a small town, everyone knows everyone. This is another reason we dreaded going to the one grocery store with our parents. A short trip would turn into a few hours because our mom or dad had to stop and talk to the neighbor, the teacher, the coworker and whoever else. And don't worry about awkwardly running into people outside of school or work, because that would be everyone you run into.
There's a town landmark
Any small town with a personality will have a quirky landmark. In my town, it was the old train station they turned into a restaurant. Some small towns also have cool things like time capsules, adding some more pizazz to the quant location.
When you visit, nothing has changed
That's if you even left at all. The majority of people who grew up in a small town grow deep roots there, and therefore decide to raise their children there as well. However, if you did happen to move away to a bigger city, don't worry. I'm sure your small town will be exactly how you left it when you visit.
Growing up in a small town can have its cons: you don't get to meet new people, there are less opportunities, and there aren't many places to hangout at. But, it's undeniable that small town living really humbles people and makes you realize what's really important in life: all the friends and family around you. They are who make living in a small town worth it. While many of us may have counted down the days until we could go off to college somewhere bigger, there will always be a part of our home towns in our blood.
