We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the biggest culture shocks they experienced after moving from a big city or small town. Here's what they had to say:
1. "Living in a small town and moving to a big city — especially right in the middle of a big university — I was not ready to see the aftermath of a Friday night. Whenever I walk through my neighborhood on a Saturday morning to get coffee, I see hundreds of crushed beer cans, broken beer pong tables, and the saddest lawn chairs on every other front lawn. The parents that live in the neighborhood with kids must be like the ones in the movie Neighbors."
2. "In 2018, I moved from New York City to a small town in Southern Vermont. I went from living in an apartment in a busy neighborhood to living in an old farmhouse on 10 acres of land with my closest neighbor being about one mile down our dirt road. I was a single female living by myself in the middle of nowhere. No cell service, crappy satellite internet, and no street lights. The first few months were such an adjustment. I couldn't sleep because it was too quiet, unless of course, a pack of coyotes started howling. I was definitely a little scared from time to time. Five years later, I sleep better than I ever had."
"My anxiety and depression have gotten better because I have easy access to all the outdoor activities that I love. I even met a country boy and married him. My friends tell me I'm literally in a Hallmark movie. I loved my time in NYC but I've never looked back since trading in the city life for the country life."
—Anonymous
3. "I moved from New York City to a town in New Jersey. The biggest difference was that you can't just walk a couple of blocks to get what you need. You actually need to drive."
4. "I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska... It's a big city with people stretched across a lot of land. When we got to Virginia, I was shocked by how many people were in one part of downtown Richmond ALONE. I really love VA, but that was too many people that close together for me."
5. "I moved from a huge city to a small town to care for my mom while she was dying. We had caretakers, too, so when I was free, there was literally nothing to do in this town. There was one movie theatre that catered mostly to kids and teens. The rest of the town was populated by seniors and veterans. No decent bookstores, coffee shops, or even grocery stores. I HATE small towns. Everyone was very judgmental and gossipy. I am glad to be back in a big city again, with its attractions and variety of people!"
6. "From a city to a small (and fairly secluded) town. What got me is that there isn't much to do. If you ever get bored and want to go out, you can really just go on a walk. The stores were bare and there weren't many, and the library didn't have many things. So if you want to get outside your house and do something around the town, it was slim pickings."
7. "I moved from rural Ohio (my township has about 100 people in it) to River Market in Kansas City. Honestly, not much shocked me but the hardest thing to get used to was the sirens. Literally everywhere. Police, ambulance, and fire trucks. I was constantly looking out the window, trying to figure out where the cars were going because back in Ohio, if you heard a siren chances were you knew the person it was going to. I was always so concerned for neighbors, and that was the hardest thing to get over in a place that had sirens going constantly."
8. "Moved from Toronto to Seoul and then to Terrace, British Columbia. The biggest shock for me has to be the crime rate. It is so much HIGHER here! I guess there is a stereotype of the sleepy small town, but the truth is that there is nothing to do here, and a shortage of work, which leads to boredom, substance abuse, and crime. It's another strange thing too, because the town is so small that everyone knows everyone, including the names of those committing the crimes."
"Coming here, I was expecting the whole 'everyone knows everything' small town thing, but I did NOT expect to feel MORE anxious about my personal security."
—Anonymous
9. "I moved from a small town to a big city when I started grad school and I think the biggest shocks were 1) how much time I spent in traffic, and 2) how far away I'd have to park for everything. In a small town, everything is right there."
10. "Small to big town: the lack of friendliness. Back in my small town, if you were broken down on the side of the road, at least three vehicles would stop and help you. Now, I can't even get someone to smile at me in the grocery store."
—Anonymous
11. "I grew up in a town of 800 people. You tend to know about everyone, as well as being familiar with people from the surrounding communities. It was difficult for me when I went to a college of 25,000 students. I'd walk across campus and struggle with not being able to recognize a single person."
12. "We moved from a large city to a smaller city. What a shock! Everyone knows each other and they stay in this town forever. Outsiders are not welcome. The gossip and 'people watching' are constant. No real arts or cultural activity. Everything social revolves around alcohol. There are no nice restaurants or places to shop."
—Anonymous
13. "I grew up in a larger town in Montana and moved to the northeastern side of the state – the middle of nowhere. The biggest thing I had to get used to was the convenience of shopping. Making a Walmart run or going clothing shopping involves at least a 90-minute drive to North Dakota on a two-lane highway. I really had to learn how to budget, plan, understand how long these items would last, how often I needed certain items, and if I can't live without certain hard-to-find items. I have honestly saved a lot more money without the convenience of Walmart, fast food, or lots of restaurants. If you are someone who can't manage to live without the convenience of having whatever you need whenever you need it, small-town Montana is not for you."
14. "Moved from a small Midwest town to New York City. My first few weeks I was devastated and shocked at the level and scope of poverty/homelessness I was seeing every day. I still vividly remember a paraplegic and homeless veteran sitting out in the summer heat asking for money and water. I never imagined that third-world country types of hunger and poverty exist in America since I grew up in such a bubble. Six years later and it's still just as devastating, but I hope I never become numb to other people’s suffering and need."
—Anonymous
15. "I moved from a city in Europe to a small town in the Midwest. I don't think I ever had a house key. I forgot my stuff somewhere and it was still there. You are part of a community. I had to get used to the obligations that go along with that, but it was nice to see that people were looking after each other. Downside: no privacy."
16. "I moved out of a small town and, after more than a decade of living in big cities, I moved back to a small town during COVID. My first shock was a stranger asking very personal questions 'as conversation.' And how traditional and conservative everyone was. Time does go slower in a small city. I am back in a big city now and the first thing I noticed was the variety of people, food, and services."
—Anonymous
17. "I moved from city living to properly living in the bush. What I love about small towns is the camaraderie. Everyone will support everyone else when needed. Our area fire station was useless so if a fire broke out, literally half the town would turn up to put it out."
18. "I lived in a small(ish) town in North Carolina for 7+ years. Last year, we moved to a bigger town in New England, and the one thing that's hard to get used to is the TRAFFIC! How are there so many people out in the middle of weekdays? Weekday traffic, even mid-workday, is like the weekend traffic we have in NC. I miss driving on more open roads."
19. "I grew up in a very small Midwest community. I moved in eighth grade to what I considered to be a big city. In reality, it was a town of about 10,000 but that was HUGE to me. Anyway, I remember a classmate mentioning that their family was building a house. Trying to fit in and make new friends, I offered to come over and help. They stared at me blankly. Lots of confusion and questions ensued. When my family and others in the small community built a house, they literally used their own two hands to build it! My dad and his friends literally built the house I grew up in. Not so much in a city where there are contractors!"
Have you ever experienced small town or big city culture shocks? Share your story in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.