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Two warm Saturdays ago, Jamie and I woke up in our apartment in Mount Horeb surrounded by boxes. That was the last night we'd spend there as we prepared to move back to my hometown - Dodgeville.
I'll admit, when significant other Jamie got a job at Lands' End a few months ago, I jumped at the chance to move back to town. We'd lived in Mount Horeb for two years as he commuted to Madison and I commuted to Dodgeville, and the thought of a less than five minute commute for both of us was delightful!
It took a little convincing as he is more of a city boy and I'm a small town kind of gal but I finally got him to see the advantages of living in a small town. Some of these advantages included:
1. So quiet - we haven't heard such as a peep in our house! And Jamie has certainly noticed too.
2. Unique local businesses - sure, we like to frequent Bob's Bitchin' but there are a lot of other "hidden gems" lurking in Iowa County communities just waiting to be explored! (My biggest smile came when Jamie mentioned Pleasant Ridge Store, like I'd never heard of it before).
3. The cost - rent is almost $200 cheaper a month in Dodgeville compared to Mount Horeb and the less than ideal apartment we were living in.
4. Friendliness - Jamie already knows that anywhere we go, there's a 99% chance we'll bump into someone I know and have to stop for a quick chat. Sometimes it isn't always bad to live somewhere where everyone knows each other (although he needs a little more convincing on that front).
As I watched the Farmers Appreciation Day parade through my camera lens this past Sunday, a feeling of gratefulness overtook me. How lucky are we to live in such a nice community. This Bechen is back in town, and she's lovin' it already.