When David and I had two relatively new friends come to visit, I sat back and listened to the lively conversation.

I couldn’t join in because they were talking about all the countries they visited and the big cities in which they once lived. I don’t have much experience with either.

Although we were just getting to know the couple, David was amazed at how they once worked and lived in some of the exact same places as he did.

Although they didn’t know each other when they worked in Chicago, their lives overlapped through mutual experiences, including working in the Prudential tower.

I thought I heard wrong when they talked about working on the 77th floor that was so high up the building seemed to sway when it was windy.

“Wait. Did you say 77th floor?” I quizzed.

I don’t think I was ever in a building that big.

Nor did I ever travel to any of the countries they mentioned.

I was still sitting there quietly trying to wrap my mind around a building with 77 floors.

I lived happily in small towns all my life. The newspapers in which I worked had two or three floors. I don’t think any of the places in town had more floors.

While I treasured every bit of small town experience, I didn’t know exactly how small my world was until I listened to the conversation flow around me.

Karen, the other wife, spoke up and said she couldn’t relate to big cities because she lived on a farm all her life until she moved to a small town in Florida.

I could relate to what she said.

There was one thing we all had in common. We loved the world in which we had lived the greatest part of our lives.

The expression that comes to mind for me is different stokes for different folks. We each were content with the world in which we lived.

We had such varied backgrounds yet eventually we all chose to live in the same small town in Florida. We don’t just like the entire area. We love it.

When I was looking for a home in Florida my realtor first took me to Sarasota because she said it had a lot going for it. Beautiful beaches, plenty to do, a lot of culture, great medical facilities, anything you want can be found in Sarasota.

Yet, all the traffic and congestion didn’t appeal to me.

When a friend told me about the Englewood area, the sleepy former fishing village that still had wide open spaces, it was just what I wanted. Like many areas in Florida it continues to draw people from across the country. Many come for a vacation and end up buying a home here. Eventually all that growth will probably change our little town. But for now I can still glory in small town life.

When my children and grandchildren come to visit, they enjoy our water sports and beautiful tropical vistas. But they are always happy to go back to city living.

Again, it’s different strokes for different folks.

The town in which I now live has only a handful of stores but plenty of restaurants. You can tell the priorities of retired folks.

Palmerton, my former small town area, had a small but delightful shopping area. I loved being able to park my car then walk the town. Whenever I opened the door to a shop there was always a friendly face to wait on me.

I especially I got a kick out of shopping at our locally owned hardware store. It was as friendly and helpful as a visit from family.

A favorite entertainment was music in the park where we could look around and recognize many friendly faces.

David’s former entertainment before he moved to Florida was Broadway shows and all the splendor New York has to offer. He says he happily thrived on life in a big city.

Because he’s a true outdoorsman he also thrives on water sports and outdoor life in our small town coastal area.

He says he’s content not to travel much because he had many years of traveling to other places both here and abroad for his job.

If I’m watching TV and ask him about a country on TV he can tell me all about the place because he’s been there.

I contrast that with my own limited travel experience. Growing up my vacation experience was a week or two in Atlantic City and nearby seaside communities. That’s it.

When I got married and heard about the Outer Banks of North Caroline from a colleague, I wanted to go. I saved money for a year then found an affordable beach cottage to rent for our family.

Talk about falling in love. For 21 consecutive years it was our family vacation paradise.

My daughter then decided she didn’t want to go to the same place every year. She and her husband prefer taking their kids to a different country each year.

Different strokes for different folks.

Yet, despite our different living preferences, we all valued all of our experiences.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a small town, a big city location or a small farming community.

What matters most is appreciating where you live and making the most of your time there.

Email Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net