My niece, who’s 5 going on 13, always asks me each time I’m home “why don’t you stay in Ohio? Why do you live in Georgia?” I laugh each time. If she was older I’d have so much more of a response for her, but since she’s still young and doesn’t really understand everything I’d tell her, I simply tell her Georgia is my home.
I grew up in a small town in Ohio. North of Cincinnati and Dayton. It’s a very small town. Cornfields, barns, and factories remind me of home. It’s the kind of town that still hasn’t changed much in some ways. I would say I grew up in a small town where we felt safe. We left our back door open. Rode our bikes after dark and made lots of trips all over the city to go to various friends houses. It’s not like I had a bad childhood because honestly, I didn’t. Growing up in an environment like that was amazing. However, as I started getting older, I realized it just wasn’t for me.
When I visit “home” now, I see a lot of hardships. I see a lot of people struggling. This is a factory working, blue collar community. When the recession hit, people lost jobs, they lost their houses and sadly, things have still not gotten better for some. This is a drastic change from the “upper-class” city I live in now. I don’t see people struggling, instead, there are times when I see extravagance and waste. It’s hard for me to go home and see the differences from what I am around normally every day. It’s just different….
I love Georgia. It’s been such an amazing city to me. Other than the bugs, humidity, and traffic- it’s been perfect for me. I’ve had opportunities here that I’d never had if I would have stayed in Ohio. It doesn’t mean I don’t remember where I came from though. I think growing up in the environment that I did gave me a lot to think about. We weren’t rich by any means and I know my mom struggled, but honestly, we had a pretty awesome childhood that a lot of children don’t have anymore. That security and comfort that I felt growing up is rare nowadays.
I probably don’t feel as safe here as I did growing up and no, we generally don’t keep our doors unlocked. I don’t see a lot of Amish people driving tractors around Atlanta much (yes, I still see this when I go to Ohio). Instead, it’s more like stupid drivers who I’m constantly yelling at because they cut me off. However, I am able to live in a city that is rich with different cultures, places that still have that small-town charm and I think that’s what I love most about Georgia. Each city is so different and they’re filled with so much diversity and experiences. It’s a lifestyle that I love and it’s very me.
A part of me will always love seeing old barns, our small city “downtown” and corn fields. It feels like home. The small-town bakeries, root beer stands and pizza places I grew up loving. Some of the same stores are still family operated with the SAME people owning them. Sadly, the schools I attended have been torn down for the most part, but those memories are always there with me.
I might be a “big city” girl now, but that small-town charm still feels like home in some ways. So to my niece who asks me why I didn’t stay in Ohio. I’d have to say that I took a chance and tried something that was very scary but ultimately has been one of the best decisions of my life. One day, I know she’ll understand.
I totally get this feeling. I was there for a long time too but when we decided to move back to our small hometown it ended up the being the best decision ever. I loved Atlanta so much but I’m a lot happier now that we’re back home.
and I’ve loved following along on your journey since you’ve moved back to a smaller town again!
I spent a fair amount of time in Columbus/Cleveland/Cincinnati/Dayton and their surrounding areas during my career as a market researcher. Columbus and Cleveland areas were my favorites.The people were friendly, intelligent, open-minded – perfect respondents for market research. Unfortunately, I had a few anti-Semitic incidents in Cincinnati that sort of ruined that area for me. I’ve been amazed at how much Columbus has grown and prospered over the 20 years that I visited there. I wish there was an easy fix for the rest of OH and the Rust Belt in general. Cleveland’s rival town, Pittsburgh, has done an amazing job reinventing itself as a healthcare hub, but it took a long time for the transformation to take place. Atlanta is another city I got to go to at least a couple of times every year. It’s another terrific place to conduct market research because of the diversity of the population and the fact that so many people are transplants from somewhere else, like you. I have a close friend, in fact my first client, who lives in Sandy Springs, and Jeff’s daughter is a grad student at Emory so that’s another reason I love to visit Atlanta. In spite of the challenging traffic, there’s so much to do in Atlanta, and it’s a physically beautiful city. I have considered retiring there some day – I just wish the ocean was a little closer!
I was just recently in Columbus and holy hell it has changed so much! Such a fun city that I love to visit! I live so close to sandy springs!!! Atlanta is a great city, IF they can figure out the traffic issue. It’s no joke!
What a great story! I’m so happy that you have had many great opportunities since you moved to a bigger city. It can be hard leaving home, but you just know in your heart if a place just isn’t for you. I’ve lived in NH all of my life and I love it here. I might want to explore other areas of the country someday, but for now we are very happy here. 🙂
Love this post and learning more about where you came from. I was raised in a similar town in Kentucky, and there have been many times I’d like to live there again – mainly because I feel like I miss out on a lot with my niece. However, we’re now between two big cities and hopefully moving to one in the near future. And my job literally does not exist in my hometown. I think small towns are great, but there’s a lot to be said for big cities, too. 🙂
There can be positives and negatives to living anywhere. Even the small cities change – It’s not as safe as it used to be. I don’t feel 100% comfortable leaving doors unlocked like we did years ago. But, in the same thought, I feel at home where I am – even if I don’t always love everything here. I’m not as comfortable in a bigger city, but I do love to visit them and see all the new exciting things that my little town is lacking. ha ha
Everyone should follow their dreams and do what feels right to them. I think that you have done that!!