I’m jealous. On her blog, Tanya Lloyd Kyi, an accomplished BC writer, has listed the six writer-related events she’s involved in in the next couple of weeks, all within the comfort of her own city.

In my small town, I have precisely…none.

Okay, I lie. There is one workshop I could attend, but it’s about poetry and poetry’s not my thing. Other than that, my in-person writing-related options are currently zero.

Living in a small town far from everywhere can be hard. There are a kazillion things I miss out on, from checklists of events, to the ease of shopping (especially books!), to the thrill of a subway ride.

And then there are the kazillion things I gain. An acreage instead of a zero-lot-line home. Sheep and donkeys and cows and llamas as neighbours. My children having unprecedented freedom, watched over by a town-full of people who know them. A four-minute commute to work. Bears that pick our cherries. Chores accomplished by foot in a six-block stretch of downtown.

There will always be trade-offs. And when I lived in a city, did I really take advantage of the myriad of events/workshops/readings anyways? Not at all; there simply wasn’t time, money was an object, transportation and parking was a hassle.

So now I have less to choose from—but each activity I do choose is infinitely more precious. Living in a small town suits me just fine.

What do you think are the pros and cons of city vs. small-town life?

Read more about literary events I’d love to attend.

Read previous posts.