As a resident of rural western Massachusetts (and as a resident of a town 20 minutes from the Vermont border), the nearest city is 45 minutes away, and that is precisely what I love about where I live. Sunderland is a small town of about 3000 permanent residents, though the population grows a bit during the school year given we have three apartment complexes here. What development we have is small – a Subway, Dunkin Donuts, yoga studio, a couple of restaurants and private businesses; big businesses can be found in Hadley, which is fifteen minutes away. Our apartment is across the street from a tobacco/corn field which abuts the Connecticut River and you can see Mount Sugarloaf (in South Deerfield) from the parking lot. There are several amazing farm stands and pick-your-own strawberry fields and the Millstone is our  farmer’s market/grocery store in the center of Main Street. I’m on a first name basis with the owner, a sweet older lady named Louise, and it’s nice to be able to support local farmers by shopping there. Next year the town celebrates its 300th anniversary, and I love being a part of that history, especially when I think of how important places like Sunderland were in the formation of our country. When Bill and I moved here from Memphis, I thought we were moving to the back of the beyond, to Nowheresville USA but Sunderland quickly won me over with its beauty and quaint New England lifestyle.  I am grateful to live in a place that isn’t all concrete and traffic and that reminds me of the beauty of God’s world every day.