I am originally from Houston, Texas – probably the farthest thing from a small town you could possibly think of. At the age of seven, my mom and I packed our things and headed for Ashland, Oregon, which is approximately .01 percent, the population size of Houston. So, even though I was born in one of the biggest cities in the U.S, I consider small, quaint, everything-closes-at-6 p.m. Ashland to be my home. Here are five reasons I’m #blessed to have grown up in a town where you can’t leave your house without seeing at least four people you know.

1. It Makes You Appreciate Big Cities

Whenever I go visit big cities, it’s always the most exciting thing that could possibly happen to me. All the things to do, see, eat, etc. constantly overwhelm me. In Ashland, everything is pretty much closed by six - or eight if it’s a crazy Saturday night – so when my roommate, who’s from Seattle, and I went to get bubble tea at 10 p.m., University Village was lit.

In Southern Oregon the majority of the things we do to occupy our time, especially in the summer, are all outdoors. The constant questions of, “Hey do you guys want to go the lake, river, mountain, etc.,” are always asked. Going to a big city, such as Seattle or Portland, offer the things we usually do outside, but also provide an endless list of things or people to see.

2. Moving To College Wasn’t Too Bad

Since I came from a relatively small town, moving to Walla Walla wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, Ashland’s got a little more going on than wheat fields, but my dread of boredom was never actualized.

I noticed that some of my friends from bigger cities struggled more with the small town lack of things to do, but I never really felt like I had run out of things to do at Whitman. Maybe that’s just because the biggest artist I’ve ever seen in Ashland was Colbie Caillat and the only famous person I’ve seen walking around downtown was a guy from the Lonely Island.

3. It Slows Things Down

Like I said earlier, the majority of things we do around here are swim at the lake or hike up a mountain. Without the fast paced way of life you have in a city, things can get pretty slow around here. That’s what I really love about the summers in Oregon. How slow and smooth the summers feel – there’s plenty of time to drink as much Stump Town cold brew and read as many Kurt Vonnegut books as I can find.

4. Knowing Everyone

I would say this is both a pro and a con of living in a tiny town. Having grown up in a tight knit community was so, so great and I don’t think I would trade it for anything else. That being said, being around the same people for 18 years can warrant for a much-needed break when going away to college. This tight knit community is also my reality at Whitman. So I’ve already gotten used to the whole everyone knowing everything about everyone else.

5. Having The Same Home to Come Back to

Small towns change very slowly. So, whenever I come home from break everything is virtually the same. This is great because I have all of my favorite restaurants and shops and secret hiding places to go back to. Visiting certain places can take me on a trip down memory lane, and that's something I'll always cherish about growing up here.

Since I've had the chance to grow up in a small town and go to college in one, I'm counting down the days until I get to move to a big city and experience a little bit of the "fast lane."