Thank you for this. I've grown up in the city my entire life, a place which has always been vilified as the worst place for people to live because people like me live there! In the Midwest, I experienced plenty of nature, neighborliness, actually good schools, and a wealth of jobs to choose from (although I am aware not all cities are like that).

It doesn't sound like any of those things were available in the small towns you lived in though. I would never live in such a place unless I had plenty of money already.

I love to hear from people in small towns, since I know almost nothing about that life. I noticed one thing though, the lack of sidewalks. Is that a common thing in small towns?