I recently moved back to Durham, North Carolina after 10 years of living in bigger cities (Tokyo, then NYC).

I expected that the rent would be cheaper but that I'd miss out in terms of culture, food, and the quality of people I met.

What I'm finding is 1) The culture that is available here is easier to appreciate and digest because there's less paradox of choice 2) The food is a little more limited but overall better 3) The people that I meet are just as smart and interesting. I often forget that I'm back in the South and not in Brooklyn.