One of the most exciting things about coming to college for me was being able to meet people who come from different backgrounds. After growing up in a small town, I found myself stuck in somewhat of a rut, thinking that the people there were the only people I was going to encounter in my life. Then, I got to college and started to meet people from all walks of life, including people who had only ever lived in towns/cities with populations that blew my mind. I remember looking at someone after they told me the size of their graduating class and realizing that their graduating class was the size of my whole high school.

Throughout the year, I've found myself explaining things to those "big city" people and having them look at me like I have seven heads. There are just things that people who didn't grow up in a small town don't get.

1. You pretty much know everyone in the town

Somehow everyone knows each other. You walk through the halls of your high school and can name almost every person you pass. You don't even have to be their friend or know them personally, but someway you just know. Maybe they're your neighbor or maybe you've been in their class basically since birth.

2. Friday night football games are like a huge family reunion

Oh, there's your first grade teacher. There's your best friend's family. There's the people who live down the street from you. If you're a teenager, those football games are the thing to do on a Friday night. All the drama seems to go down there and if you're not there, you'll definitely miss out. It wasn't really an option, it was just what everyone did.

3. "Where are you from?" always requires a complex answer

You have to memorize how far your town is from the nearest big city because it's highly unlikely that someone not from the area has heard of it. You hear the question and you start thinking of how you're going to explain it. "Well, you've probably never heard of it, but it's like an hour from (insert city here). Yeah...it's really small."

4. It's almost impossible to keep a secret

Because everyone knows everyone, it's easy for information to spread like wildfire. Because you tell one person who then tells their friends, and then somehow, everyone knows. Whether it's who's dating now or who got in a fight, the news travels.

5. Your forms of entertainment are sort of...different

There weren't many fun things to do in your town, so you found ways to make your own fun. Tasks that may be mundane to others, like driving or going to the store, are some of the most exciting things for you. "Dude, what do you want to do today?" "Let's go to Walmart!"

6. The fair is one of THE social events of the year

You plan all year for what greasy food you're going to eat and what you're going to wear. The fair combines all the things people love about small towns: everyone you know in one place, tractors, food that's bad for you.

7. Being stuck behind a tractor is a legit excuse that you can use

You don't even have to explain any further. You just walk in and say "I'm sorry I'm late, I was stuck behind a tractor," and people just nod their heads because they get it.

8. If one big thing happens in your town, people don't forget about it for years

It doesn't matter how lame this event seems to anyone else, your town will brag about it to strangers for years. You read all about it in the newspaper for months and months. As excited as you are for the town, you know they're wearing the joy out.

9. As much as you dislike it while you're there, it will hold a place in your heart

Yeah, you don't necessarily miss some things, but that town was home. A flawed, small, sometimes boring town, but it was your flawed, small, and sometimes boring town.