Living in America's Small Towns

A year ago, I left a small Midwestern city with a metropolitan area of around a million for the hills, literally! I ended up in a small town in West Virginia, of only 700 people, with no metropolis whatsoever! A few thought I was crazy, insane, but I was sick of the daily grind and wanted a change of pace. Boy was I in for an awakening; small towns, while they do offer somewhat of a respite from big city life, do not always provide quite the bohemian retreat from life’s problems as they may appear to, by outsiders.  You work unusually hard and surmount unique challenges for the luxury of doing, well, nothing.  The following are a few practical suggestions to help you in your move to the countryside, should you chose to do so, arranged catagorically.

Shopping and how it affects one's aesthetic and habits

Prices are typically lower in bigger cities because there is a surplus of goods, as well as stores in which to sell them in. They’ll never sell everything, and most items people don’t want anyway, particularly when it comes to clothing or luxury goods. Whereas you were accustomed to finding unusual deals, because of this, great deals are far and few in-between, and difficult to find in rural areas. Stores close earlier, and may or may not be open on holidays or Sundays, and high-ticket items may not be available at all. Your spoiled tastes will quickly change. Buy more, in advance, as you may not be able to buy anything exactly when you want to. Those unaccustomed to Internet shopping will quickly familiarize themselves with the concept.  One exception here though are America's outlet malls, which are typically built in less congested areas, far away from the urban epicenter, or even surburbia.

Transportation and how that affects employment