(not to be confused with yesterday’s post: “Why I Will Miss Huron County“)
Last night I wrote about the reasons I will miss Huron County, my home since I was five. But this transition to the city truly is a bittersweet one. Yes, there are many things I will miss about Huron County, and the family and friends I leave behind are at the top of that list.
Still, there are some very enticing things about the city that contribute the “sweet” part. For one, you can go to the grocery store or the bank or Wal-Mart and expect to see no one you know. Yes, there really is something beautiful in total anonymity sometimes!
Then there is the much wider variety of stores and goods. I will be able to shop at a farmer’s market all year round! Or have my pick of several health food stores and specialty markets. So many furniture stores and antique shops and clothing stores and thrift stores!
I have access to a trail that goes clear across the city, and I can use it to run or walk or bike on. I no longer have to worry about getting run over by cars on the country road (not that that was ever a major problem). I can actually use my bike to get places and leave the car at home for an entire day!
Finally, I might actually use the membership I’ve been paying for at the gym at school, because I can go at times when I’m not already carting a bag with books and meals for an entire day.
In the winter and late at night, I will have more activity options than bowling, house parties, and Tim Horton’s. Imagine that, rural-ites! Tons of bars and restaurants and shows and galleries, more than I will likely ever get to see or experience.
I will always have a wide variety of movies to see without having to drive over an hour to get to the city. I never felt like I suffered for being from a town that screened only one or two movies, but it is still pretty cool that a wider variety will be more convenient for me.
Then there are the regular hours of stores and libraries. This is one of the most frustrating things about small town life for me. There are places that aren’t open the same hours from day to day or week to week, or have different winter hours, and it’s annoying. Yes, I get it. I know that business dies at certain times of the day or season, but still. There are few things more irritating than when you make a special trip for something only to find that the place is only open 10-3 today and it’s 4:15.
While it’s true that none of these things are as powerful as that smell I talked about at the end of yesterday’s post, they are all reasons to be excited about moving to the city.
Like I said, bittersweet.
A Transparent Life 
It will be most interesting to hear your blog on the comparisons of city living vs. country living after a year or two. Having done both, there is nothing more precious to me, now, than opening my bedroom window during the spring, summer and autumn seasons, and whilst closing my eyes, smelling the fragrances and listening intently to the crickets chirping.
Some might say that there is “life” in both locales, but I don’t miss, for one minute, the sounds of traffic, and sirens and the smell of dust and dirt.
Enjoy your adventure! xo
AND now having read my “reply”, it sounded a little harsh….didn’t mean for it to be, if it reads that way to you too.
You are embarking on a new chapter and you SHOULD take it all in, enjoy every minute, and embrace all the things the city has to offer.
I have learned never to say “never” … and if I ever found my way back to the city, I would embrace it too – but for now, I like the sound of the crickets. xx