Breakfast over mimosas and a beautiful city-scape outside a twelfth floor window.
Walking to a trendy coffee shop with your favorite house-made cashew milk.
If this is what life looks like in a big city, what am I doing in Columbus, Indiana?
Yeah, I know that social media is a highlight reel, and city life isn’t always glamorous, but there is validity in the question. There are more state of the art gyms, more healthy food options, and more avenues for entertainment in virtually every city slightly larger than mine. I mean, a fun Friday night out in Indiana is a scavenger hunt in Walmart or a trip to the movie theatre. On Sundays, good luck getting a specialty cup of coffee, because most of the small shops close down. So with that said, what’s the draw? What’s the pull of a small town?
Part of it lies in the very reason why I think the small shops shut down on Sundays: family. I live in an environment that holds value in resetting and recharging with loved ones. While it may be frustrating when I want to pay for a caffeine kick, I think that it’s pretty great. I don’t have kids, but I hope that any future children of mine would get to grow up with a support system close by. Also, there may not be night clubs or fancy malls, but there are bonfires and soccer fields waiting for memories to be made.
Another very practical part of it is money. I live in a mansion compared to some of the tiny apartments that I see people in large cities live in, and I bet that I am more financially stable for it. My Mary Berry girl (my 2 year old beagle mix for any new readers) is adorable, but bless her energetic heart; she could never be cooped up in a compact place. I probably wouldn’t even have her. I’m not saying that one lifestyle is better than the other, but money definitely is a factor that you have to consider when deciding where to call home.
I don’t know if I’ll ever move to a different city, state, or country. What I do know is that I am still me no matter where I go. I’ve thought before, “If I just moved somewhere that nobody but my husband knew me, then maybe things would be different… Maybe I wouldn’t get so sad or jealous, and maybe I would look at myself in a different light.” I do think that environments can cause a shift in perspective, but they aren’t a prescription for a deeper problem. They don’t change the face that you see when you look in the mirror, and thought patterns don’t get left at borders. What does help is surrounding yourself with people and places that share the same values as you and push you to prosper. My Saturday morning walks are on a paved trail and not on the beach, but those are the paths that I believe I am supposed to be on right now. If I need to go somewhere else, then I’ll take me there.
Evenings over a cup of tea and a beautiful neighborhood outside of my front door.
Walking on the same streets where I first fell in love.
