Everyone Needs This Experience

Moving to a tiny, no-stoplight town right after college turned out to be one of my smartest decisions yet.

This particular tiny town had some of the very best people, which could be reason enough to support that claim. But living far from Target and drive-thrus taught me a resourcefulness I don't think I would've learned with convenience at my fingertips.

Now, I live where I can have most things delivered right to my doorstep, I could eat out for every meal and not repeat restaurants for a fairly long time, and. I could spend hundreds (thousands?) going to the grocery store daily. Without a plan, I'd be burning through money (and, in some ways, time) very quickly.

Thanks to my time in the land of limited options and stores that are closed by 8pm, I've got decent skills for "making do." Admittedly, I utilize the conveniences of my new town occasionally. But, still a few times this mild winter, we were low on groceries and snuggled in amidst some dismal weather, where I could whip up some homemade pizzas for lunch and decent, filling dinners, using up what we had. This ability to use what we have is so important and spans beyond food. Waste is a huge problem in our world that can be difficult to avoid amidst busyness and fast-paced living. Now, with grocery costs being abhorrent, working to stretch our food is imperative.

Additionally, items made from scratch in our kitchen very likely have more quality ingredients, thus making them more nourishing than anything we would've picked up in a drive thru.

In my fifth grade science class this week, we were talking about constraints, the types of things that can force us into more problem solving. The students were supposed to help save a beach town from hurricanes. Initially, they saw how much everything they would do in a perfect world would cost. Then, they were given a budget that really forced them to cut back and get creative. Constraints breed creativity. So much of our world prioritizes productivity over creativity, but the more I learn, the more I'm finding that's not where purposeful living happens. I think creativity and using what we have, rather than constantly seeking more, allows for the type of life I want, for my family and for me.

I hated growing up in a small town, and if you'd asked me in college, I would've said that you'd never catch me living in a tiny town. Now that I've been "in the big city" (which I know is not big, compared to the rest of the country, but it's the biggest ND has to offer, okay?) for almost two years, I think people who are vehemently against living in a rural area are doing themselves a disservice.

In addition to the practices of creativity and making do, living in a small town, where you get to know the people at the post office, grocery store, clinic, and restaurants, forces you to be forgiving and friendly. When you know the faces and hearts of the people your work directly impacts, you do better work. When you can't avoid the people you argue with, you're forced to be cordial and move on. You learn to rely on others, to ask for help and be prepared to serve. That's the type of community we're called to, and it's really difficult to find in over-populated, hurried cities.

Melody Warnick's book, This Is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are, is fantastic and covers the concept of finding a way to love where you live. Naturally, I read it after living in my tiny town for a few years. I think it's part of why I still feel so connected to the small town life. In moving away, I've struggled to implement some of the ideas. For example, Warnick talks about how the walkability of a city helps residents to feel connected. Living where I live now, it's difficult to walk for purpose, like I could before - walking to the grocery store or biking to the bakery. I loved how I could easily escape buildings and bustle, walking just around the block to a secluded path by the river, amidst trees. Time in nature is harder to find in big towns/cities.

Perhaps the biggest difference between urban and rural areas is the shift in conveniences. While small towns force creativity and preparation in grocery and household shopping, they make escaping to nature easier, but big cities offer the most resources at your finger tips and require you to intentionally seek out quiet and community. Maybe you don't need to move to a small, rural community to learn to make the most of what you have, to make a plan, to love others well, and to be a creative problem-solver. But I'm sure glad I spent my early adult years in that remarkable little town, and I'm grateful for the things it taught me, things I'm still uncovering years later.

-J