I often see posts about the “10 best cities for insert here: students, graduates, families, raising a dog, LGBTQ+, living on low salaries, retirees…” and the list goes on. For me, there’s no perfect city for anyone. New York is a dream for many, but it’s insanely expensive and the weather can be awful. Chicago winters? No, thank you. San Francisco? The ocean is freezing most of the year. But even with their downsides, these places and many others have amazing things to offer if you’re open to exploring.

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When I moved near London for work, I ended up in a small town of 60,000 people—somewhere I’d never have considered if it weren’t for the job. I wasn’t thrilled about UK winters, the rain, the cold, and the short days. But then I decided to see what fun things the town had to offer. There were free city tours, a farmers market once a month, decent shopping options, and even a river perfect for rowing or walking along in any season. I went berry picking in the autumn and preserved fruit we bought cheaply at the farmers’ market. In winter, we played in the snow, spent days at Ikea to make the house cozy, or visited the quiet seaside.

At first, I took the train to London once a week to visit family and friends. Over time, these visits became less frequent until it was once a quarter. I grew to love my little town. I enjoyed the convenience of being able to walk two blocks to the town center, took NLP and yoga classes to meet people, and tried out most of the local restaurants. Sundays were spent in a quaint pub outside of town, enjoying beer and roast by the fire. During the summer, we played tennis at a free court one block away and attended free events in the park.

I came to love that little town, despite being a big city girl who had only lived in Paris, Marseille, Barcelona, or Guatemala City.

Next move, the Guatemalan jungle. Social life was limited with just half a dozen friends around the lake, and Guatemala City was eight hours away. The nearest supermarket was 20 miles away, and the closest decent mall was 300 miles away. It was hot and humid, with the occasional snake, scorpion, or raccoon dropping by. I embraced it all the same. I took up running, swimming in the lake, tried growing vegetables, raising chickens, and got my city life fix once or twice a year in Paris or Miami.

The point is: don’t expect your location to fulfill all your needs. No place is perfect and you’ll rarely find one that ticks all the boxes. Enjoy what you can where you are.

Guatemala is fantastic for exploring Mayan ruins, local culture, and food. It has world-class diving five hours away in Belize, and people from all over the world pay a lot of money to visit! On the flip side, Guatemala lacks cultural activities like theater plays, opera, concerts, or art shows. It’s improving, but it’s far from what you’d find in smaller towns in the US or Europe.

I’ve met many people who lived in Paris for years but realized after leaving that they never climbed the Eiffel Tower. When you live somewhere, it’s easy to get caught up in daily life and forget to enjoy what your city offers.

Take a moment to be a tourist in your own city; you’ll be amazed. If you live in a remote area, check out a state park or a historical landmark.

We always dream that the grass is greener elsewhere. “If I lived in New York, I’d go out every night, live in a fabulous apartment, and watch the city lights from my bed.” In reality, you’d probably just wake up, go to work, commute back, and fall asleep in front of the TV.

Small towns, big towns, remote villages—every place has its charm. So try to make the most of wherever you are.

How do you make the most of your little corner of the world?