In the time I’ve lived in Sandpoint, I’ve met a number of people who grew up here, left for a few years, and then came back. A friend of ours used to call this scenario the "rubber band theory." He claimed you might leave where you grew up, but you’ll return eventually.
I don’t have that problem where I grew up; I’m quite sure I’m never going back to the Big City. But it’s easy to see why people would want to return to Sandpoint. Just like those of us who moved here from somewhere else, people who grew up here have a deep appreciation for this area (even if some of them took a few years to figure it out).
Whenever I go visit a Big City I remember why I live where I do. In the throes of day-to-day life here in the hinterlands, you forget that a whole lot of people have to deal with things like freeways and two-hour commutes to work. (Okay sure, some people who work in Spokane might have a two-hour commute from Sandpoint, but for most of us, that’s just not part of our reality.)
The other day, I was feeling cranky and annoyed that the increasing population is causing the traffic to get worse here. And on a blistering hot August day, following a cattle truck as it winds its way through the labyrinth of downtown is not exactly on my list of favorite activities.
But all I need to do is think about the driving experiences I used to have anywhere else I’ve lived, and it puts these Sandpoint "traffic woes" back into perspective.