by Brenda Nelson

Created on: April 05, 2009

Unless somebody has experienced life in every town, in every county, it is impossible to truly offer an honest opinion of what the best town to live in actually is. Additionally every good point about a prospective town can also be perceived as a negative by a person with different tastes.

How can a person qualify what makes one town "the best"?. How many points is an ocean view worth? What value can you give clean air? Is it better to be in a small town, or a big city? Is location more important than job opportunities, or does the climate make one town better than another?

Suppose one town had awesome health care, was free of crime, and had a great University, would any of this matter if it was in the middle of the most boring flat piece of treeless earth there was? What about the beautiful mountain cities with oodles of outdoor recreational activities, but had a high crime rate, would this city be the best for a person who grew up on that flat piece of treeless earth? Who is to say what one persons' heart and soul yearns for?

Some people love the hustle and bustle, concrete is homey and secure, others need wide open spaces and are claustrophobic in towns where the population tops ten thousand people. Some people like being anonymous in a bigger center, and long for the ability to disappear in the masses, others need to feel like they are a part of a community even when it is one where everyones business is aired at the local hair dresser.

What is the best town for anyone to live in is often the town they grew up it. The familiarity is welcome and they know where they fit. Moving into a new town or area is often one of the most stressful things a person can do. Not only are the places unfamiliar, but every town has subtle differences in the way people interact with each other, a small culture shock takes place even if you move to a town in the same region.

Homesickness is a very real thing, even for adults. When a person moves away from the town they grew up in they are often filled with excitement, but all to often this excitement fades and leaves them wondering if something is missing. They cannot put their finger on it. Yet, a trip "home" brings back a restful feeling to their inner soul. Even the shabbiest of towns will feel like a paradise to a person who grew up there.

When a person returns to their home town, even if it has grown, they just feel welcome, they feel like they belong, and in many cases it is that feeling of belonging which makes us happy. Economically it may not be strong, geographically feeble, the climate might be dreadful, and it might not have the amenities of other places, but a persons home town will always feel like "home", and home is the best town to live in.

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