In this week’s episode, host Anne Helen Petersen speaks with Who? Weekly podcast co-host and author Bobby Finger about what it was like for him growing up in a small town in Texas. Bobby’s debut novel, The Old Place, is fiction – but draws heavily on his own experiences growing up in a town of less than 1,000 people. Plus, we hear from a teen living in a small town now. High school senior Lily Fowler, from Pittsboro, North Carolina, tells us what it’s like to live in a place steeped in family history and how her relationship to her town has evolved. 

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/being-a-teenager-in-a-small-town-with-who-weeklys-bobby-finger

Located in the Arctic Circle, Utqiagvik, Alaska is the Northernmost town in America. And even though it’s one of the least habitable places in the U.S., there are plenty of folks who call this place home. This week, host Anne Helen Petersen speaks with Kawahine Danner, a local Inupiaq artist about life in the Arctic Circle. Danner explains the misconceptions about growing up in a remote arctic village, as well as some of the more unique challenges – like insanely expensive grocery store runs, or a polar bear walking through your neighborhood.

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/the-unique-challenges-of-living-in-the-arctic-circle

Maybe you’ve seen the Instagram account Cheap Old Houses (@cheapoldhouses) in a revenge bedtime procrastination blur. The account highlights homes in need of TLC where the price tag isn’t the sore spot… it’s the money and sweat equity you’ll have to put into restoring it. They’re often in rural areas, or in towns where, for various reasons, the population has declined significantly over the past 100 years. Host Anne Helen Petersen talks to Cheap Old Houses founders Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein about the home restoration enthusiasm they’ve seen through their massive Instagram following (2 million+!!). And we caught up with Betsy Sweeny (@betsysweeny), a 29-year-old with a Cheap Old House in Wheeling, WV, while swooning over her multiple fire-burning fireplaces and stained glass windows.

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/the-highs-and-lows-of-owning-a-cheap-old-house

In this week’s episode, we get into the nitty gritty of small town dating. What are the lengths you’re willing to go to find your person? Like emotionally but also how far are you willing to go... in a car? And what’s it like embarking on this solo adventure? We’re going to hear from two women with two totally different experiences. First up, we have Ruth, a divorced mom of 5 living in a small Michigan town. Then, we’ll hear from Claire, a queer woman living in rural Colorado. Host Anne Helen Petersen digs into dating with both women, hearing the highs and the lows of dating outside the big city.

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/small-town-dating-it-isnt-easy

Many city dwellers find themselves daydreaming about moving to a small town. Maybe it’s a chance to slow down, own property or just have a porch to sip tea on. The pandemic and remote work accelerated these plans for a lot of Americans. In this episode, we’ll talk to listeners considering making the jump. First, we have Laura and Anders Wennstrom. They have a great community in Minneapolis but Anders, an avid gardener and grouch when it comes to noise, has always dreamt of a place where he can truly spread out. Laura thinks there’s benefits to city life, especially when it comes to their kids growing up in a diverse community. Then we hear from Noelle Murrain, a 45-year-old Black woman, who has lived in LA and NYC but is contemplating making the move to a small Connecticut town. But first, there’s a lot of questions she has to ask herself. And we’re along for the ride.

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/moving-to-a-small-town-the-pros-and-cons

In this episode, Anne travels to a small town close to her heart – Walla Walla, WA. There, she’ll meet up with Michelle Morales. Michelle grew up in Walla Walla and is now a part of the city’s fabric, working in the prosecutor’s office there since 2017 and currently running for Walla Walla County Prosecuting Attorney. We’ll talk to Michelle about growing up in town, why she left and came back, and hear why being a public servant is important to her. Plus, Anne talks a nostalgic walk through downtown and you may or may not hear some fun duck sounds. 

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/moving-back-to-your-childhood-town-with-michelle-morales

Brian Brigantti was a lifelong city guy, raised in Chicago and living in New York City, when he found himself moving to a farm in rural Tennessee. He followed his boyfriend Domonick Gravine, who had moved there shortly after they started dating. Fast forward a couple years, Brian has fully embraced country living and vegetable gardening in particular – with 2.3 million followers on Tik Tok to prove it. And Domonick has created a niche – drawing clients from around the world – for his exotic plants. We’ll talk to Brian and Domonick about the adjustment to farm life and the unexpected pleasure of getting close to your neighbors.

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/manifesting-abundance-with-redleaf-ranchs-brian-brigantti-and-domonick-gravine

Guthrie, once the capital of Oklahoma, is a town that could easily be the backdrop in a country western. Its downtown area – with its iconic Victorian buildings – is the largest historic preservation district in the nation. But Guthrie has faced its ups and downs over the years – as people moved to Oklahoma City for opportunities. In recent years, there’s been a push to restore the town. In this episode, host Anne Helen Petersen talks to Heady Coleman, a community leader and pastor who grew up in Guthrie and moved back later in life. Heady is a local celebrity in town – he hosts the Guthrie America podcast, which has let the town grow closer and get to know each other, and he’s known to surprise friends and business owners with red balloons. Heady will tell us the role that civic life has played for him and why community-building is vital to small towns.

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/guthrie-america-with-heady-coleman

Known as the “hit recording capital of the world,” Muscle Shoals, Alabama has seen some of the biggest names in music history come through its studio doors to record – from Aretha Franklin to Bob Dylan. Traci Thomas is lucky enough to call Muscle Shoals Sound Studio a second home. We’ll talk to Traci, the longtime manager of musician Jason Isbell, about moving to nearby Florence after falling in love with a turn of the century Queen Anne and the music legacy of the area. It’s a legacy that’s important to her and Jason – leading them to form the live music festival ShoalsFest, now in its third year. We’ll hear from Traci what it was like to make the move from Nashville and what makes Muscle Shoals so special.

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/keeping-the-music-in-muscle-shoals-with-traci-thomas

After graduating from the University of Mississippi, Erin and Ben Napier married and moved to Erin’s hometown of Laurel, Mississippi. Since then, they’ve been on a dedicated mission to revitalize the town. Erin and Ben walk us through their journey and the changes they’ve made that mean the most to them. We’ll talk about their role in building community and how vital that is to a town’s livelihood. We’ll ask questions about the biggest misconceptions about small towns and hear why Laurel is a place they hope their children would want to grow old in. 

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Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/exploring-laurel-with-ben-and-erin-napier