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Transitioning from urban to small-town CORBIN SMITH Sports Reporter @curly_corbs
So, you decided to come to Maryville. Small town life wildly contrasts living in a big city, and the change of scenery takes a little getting used to. Get ready for 15-minute drives right out of the city and taking no time to learn how to get around. Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, small towns were always a phenomenon I couldn’t wrap my head around. At home, a 15-minute drive would only take me to downtown and I’d be surrounded by things to do. Just to get to school, I had to get on three dif-
ferent highways. In Maryville, you only need Highway 71 if you’re leaving. That’s all irrelevant, because you’ll find things to do. I mean it’s college, so if you don’t find something to do, you’re not trying hard enough. In Kansas City, there were interesting places to visit like The Plaza, Westport, Downtown, etc. Maryville may not have the attractions KC has, but my friends and I always found some way to enjoy ourselves. One Sunday afternoon, my friends and I drove up to Mozingo Lake before the weather warmed up and discovered a large body of ice. Like the bored college kids we are, we trekked nearly halfway across Mozingo. Thankfully,
we didn’t fall in and it made for some memorable pictures. It’s also strange to leave the most diverse high school in Missouri and come to a small town where I see similar types of people. I miss having the opportunity to learn where somebody is from and what kind of culture they represent. To make unorthodox matters even stranger, there’s barely a fraction of the businesses Kansas City has. I appreciate online shopping, but it’s different when it’s your only perusing option. If you shop like me (only when necessary), you’ll manage. However, God forbid you’re a Target shopper. I never realized the impact stores have on people until I moved to a town
with no Target. People get Black Friday levels of aggressive when I say “Walmart over Target.” One change that I find nice about moving from Kansas City to Maryville is the increase in visible stars in the night sky. There’s something about going out after a long day of running and schoolwork to sit by Colden Pond and hang out underneath the big dipper. Of course I miss climbing a hill to admire Downtown’s big, beautifully lit buildings at night, but it serves as a great motivator to come home during breaks. It’s tough not having big city luxuries, but I’ve learned how to survive, and you will too.
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