In June of this year I was offered a position at Partners for Active living as an AmeriCorps VISTA and initially I was more than a little hesitant to accept. I’d spent four years living in Washington D.C. and the idea of moving to a city only a fraction of the size of my hometown was daunting. My desire to experience something new and get out of my comfort zone pushed me to accept the job and move to Spartanburg.

I spent the next two months worrying about everything under the sun; Would my big city predilections make my transition difficult? Would I like living in a small town? Would I be able to take the city bus or would I have to drive everywhere (I’m one of those weird city kids that enjoys public transportation)?

Here we are a month later and I love it here! I’m blown away by the warm welcome I have received from every person I’ve met thus far—a stark contrast from the general unfriendliness of city dwellers. Almost everywhere I go the residents of Spartanburg greet me with a smile, ask me about my day, and offer their assistance for just about everything. To my surprise, I’m loving the slower pace. I may have to drive everywhere but being able to get to work in 10 minutes with traffic is a dream come true. The Coffee Bar and Downtown Deli have quickly become part of my weekly (sometimes daily) routine and my weekends have been consumed with exploring all of Spartanburg’s green spaces like Barnet Park, Glendale Shoals, and the Mary Black Rail Trail.

I want to thank everyone in Spartanburg that I’ve met so far, who have made me feel welcome and shown me that a small town in South Carolina can be just as exciting as the big city. I’ll be living here for the next year, exploring all that Spartanburg has to offer, and learning to love your city as my own.