When I was growing up, moving away from home was the end-all-beat-all best way to prove that you had succeeded. “Getting out of here” was a common refrain among my peers. And I am not going to lie- I felt the exact same way.
I always imagined graduating high school and heading to a far off liberal arts college based somewhere exotic like New Hampshire or Maine (ha!). Somewhere that had long snowy winters where you could write the next Great American Novel and where they actually appreciated artistic expression (I may have been a bit dramatic).
But reality is a tough mistress. I was lucky enough to receive scholarship money to the local university, and in the end it just didn’t make sense to “escape” into a ton of debt just to be cold for 4 months a year. So I stayed in my hometown to go to college, convinced that I would graduate and then land a huge and exciting job in a far off city like New York or Chicago.
...and then the market crashed, and there weren’t a ton of jobs available for anyone, let alone someone who didn’t know what she wanted to do.
So I stayed a little longer. I started working and freelancing. Through work, I met some strange and intriguing people- the bar owner who used to be in a circus sideshow, the baker who was on Food Network, the animal curator who introduced me to a pack of red wolves (all of this is true). The more I worked and explored and actually lived in my town- instead of trying to escape it- the more I came to realize that maybe it wasn’t as bad as it seemed...in fact, it might even be kind of okay!
Over the years, I came to appreciate all that this city had to offer- live theater (did I mention the university is home to one of the preeminent theater schools in the country?), innovative restaurants, arts museums, gorgeous parks...had all of this been here before?
Yes. It absolutely had been. But sometimes we are so wrapped up in escaping our current situations, we cannot slow down and appreciate what is right in front of us. Where we are is exactly what we make of it. Yes, some cities are more interesting than others, but maybe your town has more than you think. If you look at it through a tourist’s eyes, you may be surprised at what you find.
I live in a different city now, with different highs and lows. I love it here- it’s close enough to my hometown to go there often, but far enough to give me space to explore and fall in love with my new city. I appreciate them both in different ways, especially the older I get.
If you feel stuck, dedicate some time to finding out what’s great about where you live instead of hating where you are. Spend some time getting to know your neighbors and other locals. Volunteer, visit local stores, attend some events. The results may just surprise you.
If this is a topic you are interested in, I recommend reading This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick.
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