Crowds, traffic, and a fear of the known give me lots of anxiety. I like everything to be a little slower and being able to take my time and enjoy the little things. Here are some key points that support why I think living in the country, or a small town, is better than living in a big city. 

 1. Privacy 

I love my privacy. I love being able to go out into town to do my thing, then come home to my family’s own little private escape. I love that when I’m home on the farm, nothing’s constricting me. No one’s close enough to see if I’m running outside without shoes or if I want to go grab the mail down the lane in sweatpants and Crocs. 

 2. Lack of traffic 

City life can be so unpredictable. Sure, you have everything in a close distance, but it still might take a while to get there due to heavy traffic. I much prefer a little longer of a drive where I don’t have to worry about crazy traffic with crazy drivers. 

 3. Quick service 

When you live in a small community, short lines and quick service are almost guaranteed. Whether it’s a bar, gas station, or tire shop, you’ll usually get quicker service in a small town because there are fewer customers to compete with. 

4. The scenery 

When you live in the country, fresh air and cleanliness are almost a given. It’s like you can breathe again. Out in the country, people tend to care more about the environment because it means more to them. It means camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, and so much more. Plus, you can actually see the stars at night without the smog of pollution and bright, city lights! 

 5. Small schools = big education 

Smaller communities mean smaller schools and smaller class sizes. I got to know my elementary school teachers a lot better than most, which I accredit to going to a small school. Because of that, I got a lot more 1:1 help when needed. I think that this helped me prepare for moving up to middle school and high school in a bigger town, due to a consolidated school system. This is also a contributing factor to why I chose BVU. I like feeling like a person instead of a number. 

6. Less crime 

Although crime does appear everywhere, because of the smaller population, less crime tends to happen in smaller communities. When crimes do occur, word spreads quickly. In small towns, everyone kind of learn who and where to steer clear of. 

 7. Ability to be more self-sufficient 

Having extra space out in the country means that there’s more room for laying out your projects. This allows you to be a little more self-sufficient. You can also take jobs on, plan them, and take however much time you need to spend on them. If you have the space to do something yourself, you don’t need to spend money and time on finding someone else to do it in a city.   

 8. Helpful hands and kind hearts 

Living in the country or in a small community probably means that you probably know all of your neighbors. You might even have a spare key to their house or at least know where they keep one hidden. You might pick up their mail while they’re on vacation, and they might do the same for you. You might keep in touch if the power goes out and to see how far the power outage stretches, before calling it in. Everyone watches out for each other, and that’s really special. 

 There’s just something slower and simpler about the country and small-town lifestyle that I appreciate so much having grown up with it. I wouldn’t change growing up this way for the world!