Photo by @marilynyerks of me gardening a few years ago
At the age of seven, my family moved to Connecticut from New York. It was a fifteen-minute move over the border, designed to set me up for better school options for elementary and middle school. It worked out very well. I lived there with my parents until I graduated college at the age of 22 and moved in with my boyfriend in Florence, Kentucky.
It was quite a culture shock. It's going to take me a few articles to fully explain all the differences between a small town and a small city, but I'll start with these three.
Driving Difficulties
If you know anything about Florence, it's highways. There's not much to do except stare at highways and drive them. Problematic for someone like me who got her license after practicing for less than twenty hours on one-lane roads, one month before moving. I now qualify as one of many of Florence's inexperienced drivers (hi!).
Although my boyfriend has tried to help me, highways still frighten me. I plan on paying for a professional instructor to practice with me to help me overcome this fear. As an adult driver, I never had to take any road lessons, only an 8-hour classroom course. I definitely think this was a mistake on the CT DMV's part. Alas, as we are in a global pandemic, those lessons will have to wait.
Luckily, as a writer, I work from home and it has not impacted my job prospects. I was even a work-from-home Covid-19 Contact Tracer at one point!
Fast Food Everywhere
When I say rural, I really mean it. In my town, we have a gas station convenience store, two tiny restaurants, and one restaurant building that rotates restaurants every couple of months. There's nothing there at the moment. There are no fast food places in my town, period. If you want fast food, it's at least a thirty-minute drive.
We used to have a McDonald's in a neighboring town, but it closed down years ago. There just aren't enough people where we live. For reference, my entire grade in middle school had 14 girls and 2 boys.
In the city of Florence, fast food is everywhere. I've never seen so much fast food in my life. Since being out here, I've tried Popeye's, Steak & Shake, Cane's, and many others for the first time in my life. I've yet to try an Olive Garden or Chipotle. I do enjoy all the food, but I have certainly gained weight. Fast food is so convenient, and not having convenient food options made me think twice about eating out and planning meals and snacks better.
I also don't feel as helpful when supporting large chain restaurants. In my town and neighboring towns I knew I was supporting local, small businesses. Everyone knows everyone in small towns, and sometimes it is nice. My parents have ordered takeaway from the same restaurant every single week during the pandemic because they don't want it to go under, and the staff offers them free dinners from time to time as a thank you. I don't think that kind of thing happens here as often.
Lack of Wildlife
I have seen the occasional squirrel or deer in Florence. More often than not I'll see a dog being walked by someone at the apartment complex. At my house, the only dogs we would see were off-leash from our neighbors, running nearly a half-mile through the woods to come to say hello.
We had many deer, the most I ever saw at one time is seven.
Photo by @marilynyerks of a bear in our backyard
We also have a very large bear in CT who frequently visits our backyard in the afternoon and at night. When we forget to close the garage, the trash bin is taken outside and spread across the yard. We did try a bear trap, but it didn't work. From my old bedroom above the garage, I was able to tell when the bear was in the garbage, purely by the noise.
In Florence I do find myself missing the excitement of all the wildlife, whether it be our massive bear, deer, various small birds, hawks, and the occasional bobcat or snapping turtle. When I see any animal here other than pets or small birds and squirrels, I mainly feel bad for them and worry they'll wander into the highway. It is quite a different feeling.
Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3.
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