In Which Our Heroine Says Goodbye to Smalltown
"Smalltown was a great place to grow up, but I couldn't live here now."
"It's a nice place to visit, but I could never live back here."
If I've said those two statements once, I've said them a thousand times. Ever since moving to Big City I have had a difficult time tolerating life in Smalltown. You see, Smalltown tries to be like Big City except that it lacks the ability. You can't walk anywhere, nothing is easily accessible or convenient, there is no public transportation system to start of. Smalltown is so small there is only one Starbucks, and that just came in last year. This might be the only non-rural-town in America to have only one Starbucks. It takes twenty minutes to get to anywhere. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone is in your business. In the past all of these things have added up to a very frustrating visit... In the past, most of my visits have lasted for a maximum of 48 hours.
This visit has been different. I arrived in Smalltown on Tuesday evening, and now it's Sunday. I haven't stayed this long in Smalltown since I left for college eight years ago, and when I made the plans I assumed it would be difficult. I knew the first couple days would be easy. Everyone would be swept up in Christmas preparations and Christmas day itself. It was the rest of the visit that made me somewhat timid. In the past I've scurried out of town and back to Big City on Christmas Day night, or at the very latest the following morning. I had been itching to get back to my city with its busyness and almost-constant movement. As it turns out, it was rather easy to stay. Bug was so happy to have me home she almost never let me out of her sight. I had a moment of Smalltown-cringe when I discovered I couldn't buy tickets to the matinee we wanted to see online. Had I been in Big City, fandango would not have failed me. Here in Smalltown, fandango simply laughed at me. That irritation dissipated when Bug, the parents, and I had settled into our movie seats and were (mostly) enjoying The Tale of Desperaux. That evening, yesterday, and even this morning have been easy as well. It's quiet here, and calm in a way I don't have in Big City. For the first time since leaving I can picture how my life would be if I were to move back, and for the first time that picture doesn't make me shudder from head to toe.
There is a tiny little flip-flop in my stomach though. So ultimately I'm glad to be going home. My place right now is in Big City, and I know that. But as the saying goes, it's nice to know I can always come home.
"It's a nice place to visit, but I could never live back here."
If I've said those two statements once, I've said them a thousand times. Ever since moving to Big City I have had a difficult time tolerating life in Smalltown. You see, Smalltown tries to be like Big City except that it lacks the ability. You can't walk anywhere, nothing is easily accessible or convenient, there is no public transportation system to start of. Smalltown is so small there is only one Starbucks, and that just came in last year. This might be the only non-rural-town in America to have only one Starbucks. It takes twenty minutes to get to anywhere. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone is in your business. In the past all of these things have added up to a very frustrating visit... In the past, most of my visits have lasted for a maximum of 48 hours.
This visit has been different. I arrived in Smalltown on Tuesday evening, and now it's Sunday. I haven't stayed this long in Smalltown since I left for college eight years ago, and when I made the plans I assumed it would be difficult. I knew the first couple days would be easy. Everyone would be swept up in Christmas preparations and Christmas day itself. It was the rest of the visit that made me somewhat timid. In the past I've scurried out of town and back to Big City on Christmas Day night, or at the very latest the following morning. I had been itching to get back to my city with its busyness and almost-constant movement. As it turns out, it was rather easy to stay. Bug was so happy to have me home she almost never let me out of her sight. I had a moment of Smalltown-cringe when I discovered I couldn't buy tickets to the matinee we wanted to see online. Had I been in Big City, fandango would not have failed me. Here in Smalltown, fandango simply laughed at me. That irritation dissipated when Bug, the parents, and I had settled into our movie seats and were (mostly) enjoying The Tale of Desperaux. That evening, yesterday, and even this morning have been easy as well. It's quiet here, and calm in a way I don't have in Big City. For the first time since leaving I can picture how my life would be if I were to move back, and for the first time that picture doesn't make me shudder from head to toe.
There is a tiny little flip-flop in my stomach though. So ultimately I'm glad to be going home. My place right now is in Big City, and I know that. But as the saying goes, it's nice to know I can always come home.