Growing up in a town where the population was smaller than the number of students attending my college was extremely mind-boggling. Moving from a remote area where everyone knew my name to a city with countless amounts of opportunities for both excitement and exploration has opened so many doors for me. However, there will always be pieces of me that reminisce on the times I had while growing up in small town USA

Walmart runs

They’re open 24 hours a day and have literally everything and anything you and your bored adolescent acquaintances could ever possibly hope to buy. You can kill endless amounts of time by simply walking up and down each aisle.

Stargazing

Chances are, you’re close enough to a desolate area where little to no light pollution will inhibit your stargazing ventures. Bringing your friends and a pile of blankets out into the middle of nowhere and lying underneath the stars is both relaxing and incredible.

Waste gas

You drive around the streets of town not doing much of anything. Turn the radio on high, break out your best singing voice, and prepare yourself for the jam session of a lifetime.

Sit at restaurants for five hours at a time

Most of the time they have free Wi-Fi and will keep refilling your drinks. As long as you don’t make your waiter/waitresses’ life miserable, why not take advantage of both of these factors?

Basements are a popular hangout

Sitting in a friend’s basement doesn’t require gas money. You can raid the fridge, watch Netflix, and have meaningful life talks all for a relatively low blow to your wallet.

Leave town

During the few blissful times in life when you and your friends are both financially stable enough for a shopping spree, you drive an hour away. Here, you waste away your day and your hard-earned paycheck on clothes you don’t need and food you shouldn’t treat yourself to.

Attend every event possible

Whether it’s to the local coffee shop’s live music event or attending a high school basketball game, you seize each and every opportunity for excitement, whenever it comes your way.

Local tradition

The annual parade you’ve attended since the year of your birth or the same cruddy, grimy carnival where you ride the same rides year after year all hold cherished places within your heart.

Explore

Though there may not be indoor trampoline parks or a booming club population, chances are you’re surrounded by immense amounts of nature. Going to the park and feeding the ducks is an activity of choice by members from all age groups.