Getting used to the pace of small town life is definitely an adjustment from Washington D.C. Page doesn't really have places to have bakery cafes to hang out in, a farmer's market or a diverse newsstand. As much as I miss those things, there are a lot of things to like. I run into people I know almost everywhere I go--at the grocery store, at the ATM, in the post office. So over my lunch hour when I realize the post office doesn't sell tape and debate whether I have time to run the store and back, I run into a friend from work who has a roll of tape in her car. I coach a middle school running program and run into people I know from church. On my first big trip to the grocery store, people kept asking me if I needed help finding things.
In this town, most stores are closed on Sunday and people place importance on family. Sometimes I like escaping the endless political debates that seem to go nowhere and 24-hour repetitive news cycle. Most people who live here would never live in D.C.
I like both places. I like the city, and public transportation and evening events and millions of choices. I also like this place--stark and beautiful, peaceful. I love that it truly gets dark at night, I worry less about locking my doors, it feels friendly, running into people around town. And I think there is a value in understanding both places and how they work.
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