After high school, everyone always says that they want to move away and live in a big city like New York or Chicago. But personally, I don’t see why. Living in a small town has so many more perks than living in big cities. Everywhere you go there is a memory from when you were younger. With every turn, you’ll see someone you know or grew up around. Sometimes, your children even have the same teachers as you. The entire town is more of a family of neighbors than people who just meaninglessly pass by each other like they would in LA or Houston.

Walking into any store, you’re welcomed with a warm smile on a familiar face. It is a pleasant relief to be able to walk into the local grocery store or restaurant and to know all the employees working. For example, if I were to walk into the IGA (Super Valu) in Flora on a Monday or Wednesday, I’d get to see the one and only Holly Cosgray killing it at the checkout. No matter the day, if you go to McDonald’s, Mitchell’s, Dairy Queen, or Wallmen’s, you’ll see several students from Delphi and Carroll High School slaving away. Many times, they have your order memorized. You’ll always feel as if you are going to have great service.

No matter where you go in town, it will take you less then 10 minutes to get from point A to B. Most of your friends live less than a block from you. In Flora, four of my closest friends only live five blocks from my grandma’s house. It isn’t a hassle to ship us all home after we stay the night. Even Laffayette isn’t but 30 minutes away from most homes in Carroll County. Unlike my grandpa’s in Georgia which would take you at least an hour and a half to get to  my Uncle’s clinic in town.

Your parents don’t have to worry as much as to what shenanigans you and your friends are up to. Not only is it extremely rare that major things happen in your small township, but if anything were to happen, it only takes 10 seconds for the witnesses around you to text your family members and report you for doing something stupid. Most the time, they already know the whole story before you get home. And your well thought out excuse as to why you were out at 2 in the morning walking around is now pointless.

If one thing happens, everyone knows before you could even finish typing out your tweet or Facebook post asking for prayers. Sometimes, this isn’t a perk, it could be viewed as an annoying pest you have to deal with every time anything happens. As you begin to share more and more, rumors spread further. But in the end, you get to see one of the greatest advantages of being in a small town. If one thing happens in your community, it affects everyone. The whole community comes together and does whatever possible to help.

It is amazing to see all the ways our communities have influence us as we have grown up. Not only has it given us a stellar support program to fall back on, but it has taught us all the essentials in life. From being kind and courteous to everyone, to how we can help when we feel like there isn’t anything we can do. Most of us will eventually move on to our bigger dream cities and go on to do our great things, but it will be hard to get out the life lessons this small town has branded into our heads.