1. There is nothing like small town pride.

Visiting home is so comforting because all of the small town memories cluster in your head as soon as you enter. Constantly driving past your high school, bumping into your old friends, some might call that a curse -- but it really is a blessing. When you come from a small town, you appreciate and value things differently. I'm so thankful to have grown up in a town where we were all a close-knit community.

2. When you tell people where you come from, and they respond "what is that? what's it near?"

Whenever someone asks me where I live, I just respond to the nearest city, even if it is 45 minutes away. Unless they are from or near my town, chances are they have never heard of it.

3. People laugh when you tell them how many students you graduated with.

Double-digits? Really? Was it a private school? "No, it is a public school."

4. There is no such thing as a secret.

The second you open your mouth, the entire town already knows all about it. Nothing stays private in a small town. It's a blessing and a curse.

5. You can't run to the grocery store without seeing at least someone that you know.

Oh... there is my old teacher, old best friend, and my friend's mom.

6. Your high school had so much school spirit.

For being a small school, we took all of our events seriously... even if we were Division III.

7. When a crime happens in your town, it's the talk of the town for the next month.

Crime rarely occurs, but when it does, every one knows about it the next day.

8. It takes you less than five minutes to drive from one end of the town to the other.

9. Your nights consist of boredom.

When friends come to visit you have one of two options -- 1. go out to dinner or 2. drive a half hour to do something fun.

10. There are barely any restaurants in your town.

11. There are never any parties.

When you come home from school and your Saturday nights are spent watching movies with your dogs.