Heart of the Country
Five examples of urban-to-rural culture shock
In 2007, I moved to my father’s bucolic hometown on the MA/NH/ VT border from Boston, my hometown. Located out here in the hinterlands of western Massachusetts, our beautiful burg boasts a population of 700 or so. We are greatly outnumbered by trees as most of the town is state forest and conservation land. We don’t have a single traffic light, never mind a gas station, grocery store, or anything else for that matter.
Our town has a rugged, rural beauty that has largely disappeared from Massachusetts. I love watching my city friends’ faces when they come to visit the first time. The awe peppered with disbelief is priceless.
Some things took some getting used to, of course. The backwoods isn’t Boston by a long shot. Here’s some city-to-country culture shockage to give you an idea.
Deliveries
I fondly remember when I could make a phone call, and a lovely delivery person would materialize at my door bearing pizza, subs, and Chinese food.
*wipes a tear*
Oh, how I miss those days. My town is so remote that no one delivers here, and even 14 years later I still miss it. Now if I want pizza, I have to schlep to a neighboring town…
