I grew up in a quickly growing town called Cary in North Carolina. I lived within a walkable distance from Downtown Cary where my mother’s spanish speaking hair-salon was located. When waiting for my mom to get out of work, I took walks around this small historic down town looking for something to do and usually went into the small library to check-out more books than I would actually read. I remember a bakery, a couple art galleries, a sandwich shop, and murals of what must have been what this mainstreet used to look like. Most shops closed at 5:00pm and usually had unique assortments on the window display. Some stores and offices looked like houses. As you walk up the street to the library, you can clearly see the old Cary High School which used to be part of Cary Elementary. I took spanish in one of the old rooms there. It now has been renoviated into an Arts Center.
Although I did not quite understand how I, or my family, fit in this community, I learned to love small streets and small businesses. We even had a large art fair and parades every year. I never truly understand how these small businesses stayed afloat financially (I didn’t feel like a lot of people ever walked around here), but I knew that they made the community beautiful. I just wished they stayed open later so I could appreciate them when I was looking for something to do.
Cary also had beautiful trails. Because it felt impossible as a kid to get anywhere without a car, I would escape into the greenway. I took my dog on a walk, I contemplated my life as it was and what I wished it could be like if I was a kid from the classical stories like Tom Sawyer traveling down the creeks and having secret meeting places. Everything was accessible, it was also very tailored. I appreciated having access to nature, but I always longed for more.
Now 3 years after moving up from the Carolinas into New England, having traveled to several parks, towns, and countries, I appreicate the small shops, local flair, and customs that every community uniquely develops. I can imagine kids like me trying to figure out where they fit in their own community.
These are the stories of communities that I have come in contact with, that I have learned from, and the experiences I will forever take with me.