Everyone is used to the environment in which they live, work, and interact with the outside world. Having lived in a small city my entire life, I got used to quiet streets and the fact that everyone knows each other, like a big family but without relatives. When I moved to a large city, a dramatic change took place, having to get adjusted to a new environment, a new way in which people interact, as well as a busy life that is very quick and hectic. Living in a small town my whole life, moving to a big city made me realize how many differences there are between small towns and big cities. Thus, this paper aims to compare and contrast living in the two locations to understand their potential impact on my life overall.
Living in a small town has an array of advantages, such as horse riding or swimming in a lake with pristine waters, since there is not much pollution there. In cities, there is an array of entertainment in the form of shopping malls and movie theaters, so there is always something that you can do in your free time. In a small town, everyone knows each other, which creates a closely-knit community with common interests, issues, and goals (Clarke, 2019). When you live in a large city, it is common not even to see one’s neighbors, not to mention getting together with them for dinner. In the city, the sense of community is not as valued because everybody has specific personal goals, and there is no time left to enjoy getting together with one’s neighbors and acquittances. Also, when people in a small town go out to walk their dogs, they usually end up talking to everyone they meet along the way. The slow way of living allows them to be open to interactions with people to share their opinions on the latest town news or talk about anything. You rarely see such openness in a big city because everyone is determined to complete their tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to jump to the next tasks.
The difference in the pace of life is also evident in the traffic. In a small town, it is very rare that you would be stuck in traffic for a long time because there are not as many people driving around in cars; there are also not many places that one needs to go in a car. In a big city, a traffic jam is a common attribute of life, with drivers having to spend a lot of time just standing or moving very slowly. However, the levels of service availability and accessibility are favored in big cities with an abundance of restaurants, car service centers, clothing, and grocery stores, movie theaters, and more. When you live in a small town, you are lucky to have at least one movie theater that may not even screen the latest movies, and you have to plan weeks ahead to drive to a big city to watch a movie.
The differences between small and large cities show that one is not better than another. Instead, life is just different and unique in its own way. When I moved to a large city, I saw people who are always busy, eager to complete their tasks as quickly as possible o jump to the next ones, which was unfamiliar to me. The quietness and friendliness of small towns are great, but the opportunities that large city life offers should also not be underestimated.
References
Clarke, T. (2019). This is what it’s really like growing up in a small town where everyone knows your name. Web.