Perks of living in a small town

One of my favorite things about growing up in a small town was that it made me feel like a big person.  And by big I mean intelligent, athletic, important, loved, and (clearly) confident. I have friends I've known since preschool who helped to make my most formative years pleasant and memorable, and parents who convinced me that I was the best around even if I was far from it. I got a quick ego check as a freshman in college, when I realized that I actually wasn't that smart, fast, or successful relative to the thousands of competitive, over-achieving people who had also been led to believe that they were the best - and I think lots of them really were.

While I gained valuable perspective and learned to accept and even cherish being average, I never mind a little small-town confidence-booster. This past weekend Sal and I ran a Leprechaun Leap. It was just a 5K, but we got pretty into it. We realize that our times wouldn't have gotten us anything in a big city race, but we'll hold onto our medals and let ourselves feel like all-stars until we enter one of those...

We're also into ridiculously competitive men:

I've done my share of Lenoir-bashin' when it comes to trying to find a good place to eat, go out, or host a wedding, but as far as I'm concerned, this tiny town was the most ideal spot to grow up - and, some great things are happening here thanks to good citizens' revitalization efforts. I think confidence is one of the most important qualities that can be fostered in kids from an early age, and I'm so grateful for the experiences I've had here. They kept me from getting swallowed up or overwhelmed in a competitive atmosphere. 

I wanna know:

Do you want to raise kids in a city or a small town? I definitely want my kids to be involved in the community wherever we end up - with Rob being in business school, I'm not sure where that will be but I'm thinking probably a city.

How do you feel about running in skirts? I was totally against it and may have called Sal an old lady when she fell for the trend a few years ago. I recently had a change of heart and now I'm all about it.  

and I'll leave you with the most adorable baby leprechauns of all...

Baby Lewis loves Saint Patricks Day