I’m talking about how everyone (and I mean everyone) waves at each other when they’re driving, biking, or walking by each other. The same can be said about the lovely, land-locked 400-year-old village of Galisteo, where I live near Santa Fe. Funny how when I wave to someone in San Francisco, they think I’m trying to hail a taxi.

As I went for a beach walk with our dog Jamie this morning, I pondered why I love living in a small town after having enjoyed big cities most of my life: LA, Washington DC, London, New York, and San Francisco. Here’s my top five list off the top of my head:

1. The smaller the places, the better you know the faces. Familiarity doesn’t breed contempt, but community, joy, and compassion.

2. There’s something about rural life that tranquilizes your nervous system. The pace of the place means you won’t need a pacemaker anytime soon.

3. You can more palpably feel the local impact of how you spend, invest, and donate your money and time.

4. As we grow up, we also grow in, and, in many cases, we move from an extrovert to an introvert, and there’s no better place than a small town to cultivate both and to explore nature and use her as a wise teacher.

5. While this isn’t always the case, the cost of living can be lower. Natural beauty is free.

What would be on your list?