Picture this. You are at your college orientation and you are asked to introduce yourself and tell everyone where you're from. And not a single person in the room, literally nobody, knows where you came from. You have to spend the next thirty minutes reassuring people that you really do live in America, but many are doubtful. If you've been in this spot, this is just one of many signs that you grew up in the middle of nowhere.
1. Your hometown is still technically a village
There is no better proof that you grew up in a small town than knowing you grew up in a village. A village is smaller than a town, with between 500-2,500 people (the size of some high schools).
2. You're surrounded by corn, beans, or other veggies
Your typical natural setting includes corn, corn, and more corn.
3. Your best friend is also your cousin
Every small town has a last name that almost everyone in it has in common.
4. Your graduating class had less than 300 people
You've been best friends with almost every person in your class at least once.
5. You know every person in your town by their first and last name
And usually, you know a little bit about their lives, too.
6. There is no such thing as a secret
You've learned that you literally cannot trust a single person.
7. News travels way too fast
Again, if you don't want someone to know something, you simply keep it to yourself. Otherwise, the whole community will know within five minutes.
8. You are constantly stuck driving behind a tractor
You've always left a few minutes early to get somewhere, expecting to be stuck behind a tractor at some point in your trip.
9. You can travel from one side of town to the other in less than 20 minutes
Ten minutes, driving!
10. You have the "it's ten minutes from ___, west of ___, and next to ___" speech perfected
Nobody knows the name of your town, so it's usually easier to describe it in relation to a well-known area that is nearby.
11. The smell of fertilizer is way too familiar
Visitors are repulsed, but it smells like home to us!
12. You've watched someone walk their horse down your road
No explanation needed.
While most of these sound unappealing, if you can relate, you know that growing up in a small town was perfect, most of the time!
