When I was a younger person, growing up in Small Town USA could feel so boring at times. I would have given anything to live near a shopping mall, just to have a place to hang out with my friends that wasn't one of our parents' basements. The mall was like an exclusive foreign club, and every other teenager I met from anywhere-but-here had a membership to it. I was desperate to be in that club; desperate to have that club nearby to even have the option to be in it at all. Back then, I truly never thought I'd want to stick around my hometown of 500 people—all who seemed to be my parents' age or older, too.

But then I grew up, and now I'm the age my parents were then, and I get it. In this phase of my life, I am often reminded why I love living here so much, and one main point of that is the closeness of the community. People show up for one another in times of need but also in times of celebration. I am sure that exists in other places, but it's hard to envision an entire city coming together for somebody in the same way a small town does.

Attending events in the town you are interested in moving to is a great way to learn more about the community. So many small towns have traditions and charm in the form of annual events that you can't find anywhere else. Even something as small as attending a craft fair or visiting some local shops can give you a real feel for the town and the members of the community.

I recently hosted an event, and I was totally floored at the support it received. Not only did so many people attend—from near and far—but it was the neighboring businesses and people in my town who really rooted me on in the form of well-wishes, sponsorships, post-sharing online, and just overall huge support. It was such a grounding experience to not only give something back to the people around me, but to have it be so graciously received in return. As I cleaned up from the event, I couldn't help but feel so grateful to live where I do—which is also still far, far away from a shopping mall, and just how I like it.

Paige O. Roberts has a degree in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Henniker Review, Sidereal Magazine, Rejection Letters, and Cypress. She has been nominated for a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize. She lives in northern New Hampshire, where she owns and operates a pet boutique called Tailswag.