10 Months ago on this day Garrett and I returned from our honeymoon trip- I immediately assumed my new role as a homemaker and it was the day I permanently moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Before all that happened, we were in a long-distance relationship/courtship so I'd visit a couple of times from Washington state and whenever we talked about getting married Bartlesville and other cities in different states/provinces were options for us to live in. Now that I've been here for full ten months I have fallen in love with rural America. Small town boy, small Town life-It's enough for me.
I've been to the bowling alley once, I've been to the Cinema once and I'm completely okay with the lack of too much entertainment around because I can stay in my house and live the life of my dreams as a hermit!Juuuussst kidding..!, But seriously, I like doing activities out of our house but I am also a major homebody and this is the perfect town to do both. Here are 10 reasons I love living in Bartlesville:
10. All my Purchases are thought out
Because a small town has limited number of big stores, driving to another town (Tulsa or Owasso) to get specialty items or goods means planning in advance (setting a date and saving enough money to go there), In most cases I just end up sitting on my couch contemplating whether its worth driving 45 minutes to get a Sprouts Organic red bell pepper or settle for a suspiciously large sized genetic modified one from a local supermarket. I usually opt for the latter.
9. Shopping is easier
Even though there are a limited number of shops, I appreciate that I don't fear being squashed to death in a stampede anytime I go make groceries....well except for that one day a year after thanksgiving where everyone is tricked into spending money on things they obviously don't need (Please don't come at me ye militant black Friday shoppers). Except on Black Friday, shopping in a small town is not only easier, but Pleasant!
8. The cost of living is relatively low
Without comparing the cost of living here in Bartlesville to any City I lived at in South Africa (because everything in America is expensive), small towns are known for lower rent costs, food costs and Sale Taxes. The standard of living is lower compared to a great number of towns in the same state and also in the country.
7. Life doesn't move too fast
Before I came to the US I spent 9 years living in few big cities in South Africa-the city I spent more years in was Port Elizabeth. As much as I loved living in that Friendly city, I often longed for school terms to finish so that I could go visit my mother in the village, away from the city strife...away from coffee drinkers, social media celebs, Beiber fans, etc. The village was a safe haven for when I was tired of the competitive and quick nature of life in the big city. Everything happened fast, people moved fast and so did I, I didn't have time to pause, think or take naps. Now that I live in this small "boring" town I haven't cared about living in a big town again.
6. No major noise pollution
Except for the occasional Bark-off(brought to us by our friendly neighborhood dogs) that happens in our neighborhood every evening right before we get into bed, Bartlesville is a quiet town. It's so quiet that whenever there is a loud or weird noise heard everyone always wonders what it might be (You are more likely to have a conversation with other people the next day about the strange noise heard .....the town is that small haha). In the big cities there was always a combination of noises coming from Night clubs, Industries, overcrowded residential areas, etc therefore selective hearing to drown all the noise was a useful survival skill.
5. Driving and Parking is not a nightmare
Because most places I go to aren't overcrowded by people, Finding a parking spot is not hard and driving around doesn't make me feel like I'm on an episode of a car racing show. I would say though, I do get surprised when I see people driving too fast in this tiny town..like what are you in a hurry for? Nothing is that urgent here. well, except if you are a paramedic driving an ambulance or a cop chasing a criminal.
4. The crime rate is Low
I've already written about the first time I got mugged in P.E in one of my previous blogs. When I stayed in Washington I lived with the fear of getting my stuff stolen (yes there are thieves in America too hahah...), I think I'm spoiled by the low crime rate in this town that I feel tense in bigger cities. Maybe because everyone here knows everyone so if you try to mug me i'll come to your house later with the cops!
3. My In-Laws live within an earshot
It is a big blessing to be able to live in the same country with the love of my life but sweeter to live closer to my in-laws who are all things wounderful and loving. We get together, we visit, we live life together.
2. People are more friendly
This doesn't mean every single person is gonna go out of their way to be nice but a majority of time I am in public places I exchange smiles with friendly old people and people are not afraid to give complements because talking to strangers is not a faux pas. I always tell my husband that there is an Ouma at Braum's who greets me with "How are you doing little lady?"accompanied by a big toothless smile, that makes my week.
1. Our church family makes it even nicer to live in this town
One of the things Garrett and I prayed hard for was to find a Bible-believing, gospel-centered community of believers and the Lord blessed us with First Baptist church of Bartlesville. This is a nice community of believers who love and serve one another. A majority of our meaningful friendships were developed in this community and not that we would not go anywhere else the Lord sends us but at this time that we live in Bartlesville, we enjoy being part of this community. We love it here. We are thankful. I want to stay.
