I’ve been thinking a lot about why it is that I love Sanford. We’ve moved around so much in our married life and this is by far the longest we’ve ever been anywhere. (I hope I’m not jinxing myself by saying that!) It’s the smallest place we’ve lived and even this city girl has learned to love it here. So here’s my top 5 list, in no particular order.

1. Traffic. Or more accurately, the lack thereof. Sure, Horner can be scary with those semis flying by, but I never get stuck anywhere for more than a couple of minutes. I do not miss traffic.

2. We have some really good local restaurants. I love Fairview Dairy Bar for a cheap lunch or dinner. I never have to worry about my kids getting loud there. It’s a great place for families to eat…and now that they’re smoke-free, I don’t have to worry about my child with asthma getting sick after a meal there! Davison’s is quite possibly the BEST steak place I’ve ever eaten at. We almost never get to go because of the kid factor but when we get a night to ourselves, that’s where we like to spend it. And if you have fried pickle fetish (like me) you must go to the River Lodge. I adore fried pickles. They are arguably one of my favorite foods, but they’re not easy to find. The River Lodge has them and they are delicious. I also love their Sunday lunch buffet. Even without the fried pickles. I know there are lots more great restaurants, but there’s my top 3.

3. The choice for year-round school. My 5 year old will start at Tramway in a few months and I couldn’t be happier. I have heard great things about the school and the benefits of going year-round. He thrives on consistency so this will minimize the adjustments he has to make at the start of every school year. I really don’t understand why so many people in Wake County are so opposed to the year-round concept. I think the traditional calendar is outdated and makes very little sense. Going year round will give him a great start to his school career.

4. The hospital here is very good, considering the size of Sanford. The first time I was there was for the birth of my youngest son. That experience was amazing. And there is no comparison to the birth of my oldest child at Cape Fear Valley in Fayetteville. You would think a hospital that delivers 3000-4000 babies a year would have a better facility, but they don’t. I’ve also had several outpatient surgeries at Central Carolina Hospital and though the surgeries themselves weren’t a lot of fun, I’ve always been very well taken care of by the nurses there. We’ve needed the lab and radiology department there on several occasions and have never had any problems. We’ve not needed a visit to the ER (knock wood) so I can’t comment on that, but everything else has been as pleasant as possible, considering.

5. In less than an hour I can be in a large city and take advantage of all those things that Sanford doesn’t have. Shopping, all those chain restaurants that I occasionally get a craving for, world class hospitals that can treat anything you can come up with, and even traffic, should I find myself wishing I could sit in a hot car and not move for a long time. It’s really nice and I feel like we’re perfectly situated here.

If you’re a Sanford blogger, consider yourself tagged. Let’s hear what you like about Sanford. Leave a comment with a link to your post so we can all feel the love together. (Don’t worry, I’m planning a “Things that annoy me about Sanford” post in a few days!)