I just visited my hometown - population around 5,000. It's a nice little Pennsylvania Dutch town that includes one long downtown street and various residential streets surrounding it. It is actually quite similar to the town I live in now, but it still seems smaller. Older. Less changing. And I miss it while I'm gone, for the following reasons.....
- you can recognize the faces of most people you come across - and you might even know their names
- you can follow whole families and their children as they grow, graduate, marry, etc.
- you can memorize the alleys, streets and secret spots very easily
- the same things happen each year - bazaars, yard sales, Christmas dinners
- you can come back to your high school 10 years after graduating and still feel quite at home and part of its history
- everything is smaller and more intimate - schools, churches, businesses
- you feel safe because everyone and everywhere is familiar to you
- there are more local/homegrown items available just down the street
- you just feel at "home"
Now, this is not to say that there are not negative things about living in a small town. I mean, just read the list above.....add a little gossip, neighbors knowing your business and small town competition....well, you get the point. It's good and bad. That's why going back just to visit is the perfect way to enjoy a small town.
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