Are there deer there? No...Deer Park is a town where I have lived for my entire life and where a lot of my family lives. It's a town where I have experienced many different types of people and hilarious events. A huge thanks goes out to my family for planting our roots here in Deer Park.

1. The May Moore/JQA Rivalry

These are the two elementary schools in Deer Park. John Quincy Adams for the East siders and May Moore for the West siders. When you got into John F. Kennedy (intermediate school) it was like a whole new world because you saw so many people you didn't know because they were from the other elementary school. You always insisted yours was better and you will forever...JQA for life.

2. Mostly everyone started their sports career with soccer.

Either you loved it and continued with it through high school, or you were like me and got trampled and decided to never play again.

3. Food. Everywhere.

Want Chinese? We got you. Want pizza? We got you. Want burgers? We got you. Bagels? Got plenty. Any kind of food you could want, you can find on Deer Park Avenue.

4. Summers at Pine Acres.

Even if you didn't play baseball or softball, Pine Acres was a happening place. You could meet there with your friends and just hang out on a field, play on the playground, or even hit a couple balls. If you did play baseball or softball though, you always strived to hit one over that yellow fence topper. And you felt like a local celebrity if your name was on the big plaques of the District 34 teams.... Mine is. Yes, I still feel cool about it.

5. Did you know that the high school is actually "shaped" like the letters DP?

Yeah, I don't know if I see it either, but that's what it's supposed to be.

6. The place in the CVS parking lot that has been 7 different types of food/yogurt/smoothie places within like 10 years.

We LOVED Madison Smoothies...what happened? Remember when it was a Cold Stone? Deer Park collectively gained at least a million pounds that year.

7. Friday Night Lights.

Even if you didn't love football, the games still felt magical to you. The atmosphere was incredible, and everyone was always so into the game. And, of course, when the kickline came out to perform...I mean it was awesome (says a former Falconette.)

8. When the Tanger Outlets opened, it was crazy.

Everyone would hang out there, and do absolutely nothing besides get China Max or Red Mango and walk around. Of course, people shopped there, but at night it was the lower-classmen hangout spot.

9. Sports Night.

In high school, Sports Night was legendary. The spirit week leading up to it and that Friday night where everyone knew the Seniors were going to win...except for that one year they didn't. Anyway, there's roller scooter basketball, that paper towel run thing (where everyone was way too sweaty), dodgeball and then of course the tug-of-war. Things always got pretty serious that night.

10. You'll always be a Falcon at heart.

No matter where you went for college, you knew that DP would always be your home.