"Cities force growth and make people talkative and entertaining, but they also make them artificial." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I used to hate to admit it. Yes, I am a small town girl. Born and raised. I couldn't wait to leave my town, and move away. At least that is what I thought in high school, when the very thought of becoming a Native Paradisian sort of made my stomach turn a little LOT with anxiety. I grew up with the same kids from day care, and graduated with them in 2000. Once I lived on my own, I still wasn't satisfied that I was making any sort of change in my life, or, for that matter moving forward. I used to want to move to Los Angeles or NYC, maybe start off slow, and move to San Francisco. But, then I bought a business, and owned it in Chico for 3 years. It was...to say the least an expeirence. A bunch of spoiled rotten college girls living on mommy and daddy's dollar. Wait, no, that was just my employees. Bitches!!!
I, for the most part loved all of my customers, and at one point considered writing a tell-all book of the things I've seen, that I cannot un-see. Seriously....YIKES!
Anyway, once I was married, and in Chico, I felt a little better, but still, I knew that where I was, wasn't where I belonged, and where I was wasn't where I was going to stay. So, after my divorce, and living back at my moms, or on my brothers couch, or in my friends' spare room, I knew that the biggest risk I would be taking would be staying in the small town that I, and my ex-husband grew up in. I knew that if I didn't leave then, I probably would never leave. So, with a leap of faith, and a fantasy of far away places, I packed up my U-Haul truck and drove 2 1/2 hours to Napa, all alone, in a hot truck, with only a radio player, and no A/C.
I immediately was in love with the fact that I lived so close to EVERYTHING. The ocean, the city, the snow, the forest...everything was here, with me, within a 2-3 hour drive. But, soon, I realized that every town has it's drama, and every town has it's natives born and raised. Not just Paradise.
BUT........
I'll take a small town any day over a big city, because the way I see it, and what I've seen, big cities make small town girls and boys, fake. They force you to dress a certain way, spend a certain way, eat at certain places. It's different for people who grew up in the city, it's just a place to call home, I have friends in San Francisco who just don't see the attractions in what the "transplants" do. When people move away from small towns, to live in big cities, it's like a stage to them, to show off what they are doing. Visiting to me, sounds much more appealing. It keeps the Disneyland Effect going.
After living in Napa for 3 years, I've realized that my hometown is no worse than any other, no matter the state, the location, the population. And, in fact my hometown is better, because I can always go back. Back to my memories, my parents, my brothers.
