How we grow up is shaped by where we grow up

How children grow up depends a lot on where they grow up. 

I guess most people would agree with that. Even if we take aside religion, culture or climate, we just need to look at the wars taking place this very second…

As children we’re not really aware of these differences (at least if we have our needs met!). 

Something I only realised lately was the way in which my specific hometown shaped my childhood. 

I grew up in a “middle town” — not small but by far not a city. The size mattered a lot because we had all the important infrastructure in our town and I could go everywhere by bike on my own once I was eleven or so: several secondary schools, an indoor swimming pool, a music school, shops. Everything we needed as kids was right there. 

Many of our classmates traveled to school by bus because they lived in the neighbouring towns and villages. One kid’s bus ride to school took 45 minutes one way every day — and the bus timetable wasn’t synchronised with the beginning and end of school, so he often was there too early and had to wait for his bus for up to an hour after school. 

By the time he got home, I had already gotten home, eaten lunch, done my homework and was probably already on my way to music school. 

Our town was also close to the next city. What I thought of as a pretty normal secondary school, was labelled a ‘city school’ by friends who went to school in more rural areas. Apparently year sixs beating up year fives isn’t the norm everywhere. Apparently skipping school once you’re eighteen isn’t accepted everywhere even if you’re doing well in school. 

But our school also had fantastic equipment and great teachers who knew how to deal with us kids.

Where did you grow up, how did it shadow your childhood? 

And how does it compare to where your kids grow up? If it’s the same place: how have things changed?