Most teenagers want to live in cities-or at least respectable towns-where the fun happens. Unfortunately, maybe your parents are older and want to be able to relax. Maybe they don't trust the city. Maybe they lived in a city before and want to live in the country now. For whatever reason, until you blow out those 18, 19, 20 or 21 candles, you're stuck smack in the middle of...nowhere. While you might not like the country and probably don't want to live there the rest of your life, you might look back as a city slicker one day and be glad you had a small chance to experience such a pastoral setting while you were young. But that's a long way away from now, and there's no way you can fast-forward.
Steps
1. Reach out to other teenagers. This is more important the fewer teenagers there are in your town. Chances are good that, out here, you spend a lot more time than you'd like hanging out with your family. Find a few good friends who share your feelings about your town-even if interests or personalities clash, you're in the same boat. You'll want their companionship so that you can practice having your own social life.
2. If you live close enough, travel to a nearby city every few weeks to catch up on the lifestyle there and see the sights and sounds that just don't exist back home.
-Don't forget to save money up for these trips!
-If a large city is far away, you might have to plan ahead and stay over on a long weekend, such as Columbus Day or Memorial Day. It's still worth it, though!
3. Keep up with trends in cities you think will attract you when you've moved away from home. You should definitely follow the norms of domestic hot spots such as New York, L.A., Boston, Seattle and Miami, but if there is an international city you're interested in the culture of, don't forget about it!
-Also try to follow some of the trends of people in your town. You wouldn't want to stick out too much, would you?
4. Depending on where you live, you may have more or less leeway than teens living in cities, so be wise with it. For example, your parents may let you walk around on your own late in the day, whereas in the city, that's not safe because of all the idiots out there. However, you have the disadvantage of the fact that buildings and homes in the country tend to be further apart than in the city, and where you want to go may not be within walking distance. If such is the case, call up those buddies we talked about earlier and arrange a carpool!
5. Get your license as soon as state law allows. In the city, some teenagers wait a while because everything is so close together, but in the country, that's just not an option.
6. Enjoy some of the things about living in a rural area. For example, you can easily go apple picking in the fall, and drive around to view foliage. In the spring and summer, there are lakes you can visit.
7. Realize that living in the country as a teen does not make you immune to doing some of the stupid things that city teens seem to do. Parents of rural teenagers need to realize this too. Whether you live in the middle of Brooklyn or the middle of Wyoming, the least populous state in the Union, you are bound to know of girls who've gotten pregnant, kids who do drugs, kids who smoke, kids who steal, and kids who drink underage. Don't let it happen to you! It sounds cliche, but like the commercial always says, stay above the influence!
8. In the country, it might be hard to find a job as a teen. Finding a job that will pay you fairly can be even harder. Don't give up, but at the same time, make sure your parents understand this so that they will still provide you with some spare cash.
9. Do your best in school, even if the teachers and building conditions aren't that great. Nowadays, an education is key.
10. Remember to save for college! No matter where you go, you need to go. Remember, when looking for a job in the city, a college degree is what a high school diploma was 50 years ago.
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