It has been said that where a person grows up has a lot to do with the way they are shaped as an individual. Whether it be a small town, a large city, or a village, people’s mentalities, actions, and personalities are influenced by the environment that surrounds them. In my humble opinion, growing up in a small town is not something I’ve enjoyed. These are 10 reasons why I wish I grew up anywhere else:
1. You can’t go out in public without seeing everyone you know
This may sound dramatic, but it’s true. Living in a small town means that there’s limited options of everything – of grocery stores, movie theatres, restaurants. So, in the case of needing a quick stop to Walmart means you’re going to see at least five people you went to high school with, making the “quick trip” a burden. If you’re like me, this means putting makeup on, straightening your hair, and wearing actual clothes, just to take three minutes at self-check-out to buy a carton of eggs.
2. There are not a lot of social options
When it comes to both friendships and relationships, your options are limited. You already know everyone in your town, so there’s really no way to “meet” people who may be suitable for you. This obviously means that life is incredibly boring. And to top it off, every time your friend is involved with a guy, he’s crossed of the list – and eventually there’s literally no one left.
3. Everyone knows everyone and everything that happens
Yes, this is just as frightening as it sounds. When you’re in a fight, everyone knows. When you experience heart break, everyone experiences it with you. It’s impossible to find privacy anywhere but your own home.
4. There’s nothing to do for fun
Like, the definition of nothing. Where I’m from; there’s no mall, about four restaurants, one movie theatre, and one run down bowling alley (okay, and a few more small things). Yet, people still question why I chose to live away for school.
5. Limited job opportunities
As stated, there is not a lot to do when you live in a small town. Therefore, there is also not a lot of places to get hired. This makes the job-hunting experience extremely discouraging, and it’s also just really hard for teenagers to be in control of their finances. When you do finally find a job, you probably won’t get a lot of hours, because so many students are also looking to work as well.
6. Every time a stranger asks where you’re from you get a “what’s that?”
Literally, every time. This is something I noticed when moving away for University. I think on average, 9% of people claim that they’ve been here – and it gets pretty repetitive.
7. Not a good place for business
Living in a small town for most of my life, I have witnessed countless amounts of businesses appear just to shut down before they even open. This both sets a bad example for the youth within the town, and also indicates no hope in their town becoming any greater. And it really sucks.
8. No access to internships or work experience
This makes getting your foot into an industry extremely limiting. As students, internships are valuable and often necessary, making it an inconvenience to be from a town that can offer no resourceful help.
9. Everyone assumes you live on a farm, literally
Personally, I would love for my house to be surrounded by horses and pigs, but that is not the case. So many people think of the town I’m from as “farm land”, but that does not mean that we literally live on farms.
10. Everything is SO far away
Small towns are sometimes quite the drive away from where you want to be, and this makes it really difficult when you’re young and can’t drive. It can be quite boring being surrounded by the same scenery all the time, making the difficulty to reach other places that much more frustrating. This also makes choosing a university or college difficult, because if you don’t move away, you’re in for a really long commute.
