Several years ago, my wife and I chose the village of Medina as the place we would begin the next adventure of our life. Retirement. Like most new residents of the Texas Hill Country, we were initially captivated by the region’s natural environment. It did not take long for us to comprehend that the beautiful country-side would not remain the most compelling reason for settling in Medina.
As we became better acquainted with the people, culture and institutions of Medina it was obvious we were living in a very special place. We found our little village to be distinctly different from other rural communities where we had resided. As archaeologists we had inhabited small towns from the Great Plains to the Sierra Nevada. In those often-remote locations we witnessed a wide range of dysfunctional, self-destructive behaviors. For some reason Medina had not been clouded by the sense of hopelessness we had observed in other small communities. We wondered what made this village different.
We noticed several significant factors that established Medina as a community where people enjoy a quality of life that has become rare. Unlike many small towns Medina has retained a very strong sense of community with friendly residents, special events and places to socialize. Essential services and businesses are available for most daily needs. The compact village is safe for walking with little traffic or crime. Ironically our biggest safety issue is the abundance of nature. Native and exotic wildlife wander the town like they own it.
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