Growing up in a small country town was enough to push me to go to college in a city. There is nothing like waiting at a grocery store for an hour while my dad talks for hours to someone he knows. Or even people recognizing your car as it’s driving past. That’s probably why I adjusted so well to college, because I needed a change of scenery. But if the city has taught me one thing its: I miss living in a small country town.

Tall buildings with amazing architecture, beautiful bridges, awesome sports teams, Pittsburgh has most things a person would want in a city. I would consider myself a city girl sometimes, yet most of the times I am truly a country girl at heart (sadly). Growing up, I would have completely disagreed with this statement. Since I never truly enjoyed country music, mudding, or basically any country-related activities.

I miss the trees and seeing forests of them while driving through the backroads. I miss the fresh air and not the polluted smog we have here in Pittsburgh. I miss hiking and experiencing the beauty of the earth in a calm setting. Here the only hiking I get is walking from campus to South Side. Seeing trees and beautiful landscapes every day is something you take for granted.

Another big thing I miss about my small country town is people hold the doors open for other people and smile at others because they might know the person and they wouldn’t want to seem disrespectful. Plus, it’s just the nice thing to do. Here in the city you tend to avoid eye contact with passerbys and when people do hold the doors for others they might say thank you but no smiling.

The city life is not all that bad, and I truly enjoy it most of the time. But living here has taught me to cherish the beautiful earth around me and the plants and animals sharing the same land as me. Going to college in a big city also taught me where I want to live in the future and the deciding factors. I’ve always assumed I would live in a big city but after living in one I realize I enjoy nature much more than beautiful architecture.