A Big Move to a Small Town: Major Reasons Why I Gave Up a Major City in My 20s

Ever think about getting away from the hustle and bustle of a big city — escaping from the hours spent sitting in traffic, cars honking at the car in front of them as soon as the light turns from red to green, wandering the crowded streets and subways, and waiting in line to spend $5 on your morning latte before your 9 AM shift?

I was raised just outside of San Francisco, California, and lived there for 20 years. When I was 24, I got married to my husband, who happened to be from a small town in Central Pennsylvania. We dated for a few years before getting married, so we traveled back and forth between the two states countless times. When it came down to choose where we wanted to settle down, we ultimately chose that small town in Pennsylvania, for many reasons. It was an adjustment at first, going from a large, popular city, to a rural town not many have heard of. After about a year and a half here, I realized there were many reasons why living here was a better decision than staying in the city.

The first reason is, of course, the cheaper housing and cost of living. I traded having coffee at a trendy coffee shop for coffee on my front porch — we were able to purchase a home bigger than I could imagine. In fact, I don’t think many 3,000 sq ft homes really exist in California for the…