The majority of high school seniors see the world waiting for them beyond their old and boring hometown. But what if your hometown has two colleges within a mile of each other? Do you consider them as an option and apply or do you completely overlook them and get out? I chose to go to a college in my hometown. In fact, I only applied to one of the two colleges here. That’s it: one school, one acceptance. Going to college and becoming an adult where I went to high school changed my hometown for the better. Here are some of the things that seem brand new in my hometown:

1. Seasonal changes

I never used to appreciate the beginning of each new season in high school. Now, whenever I’m on my way to school and I’m passing the strategically-placed trees on Main Street in the springtime, the pink buds are the most gorgeous things I’ve ever seen. If I wasn’t driving, I would take a picture, but it’s something I love to look forward to and see in person. Don’t even get me started on the first snowfall or when the leaves change.

2. The coffee shop

My favorite place to get coffee is no longer just caffeine driven. Whenever my friends and I want to get off campus, we go get coffee and sit at one of the tables to talk about everything. Some of the best conversations I’ve had have been around a converted sewing machine table or on the couch in the back corner where you can complete an assigned reading while you sip your caramel iced coffee.

3. Getting groceries

When your high school and college lives collide, going to the grocery store will never be the same. And that’s okay. I love going to Hannaford and bumping into my high school German teacher and then immediately having a conversation with one of the women I work with at my work study job. It just reminds you that the world is a small place and everything and everyone is connected somehow. It’s comforting.

4. The colleges

Even though I took flute lessons when I was younger at the college I now attend, the college is so different to me now - although my department has always felt familiar. My school is no longer just the school on the opposite mountain from the one I live on. It’s a second home where I found friends who care about me, professors that want to see me succeed, and a place where I get to see my own personal growth unfold.

5. Opportunities and connections

I used to think my hometown didn’t have much to offer to me and I would have to move in order to find a decent job. I can’t believe how wrong I was. I’m an education major and my hometown has so many schools that I have had the opportunity to observe and work in. Getting to work in the schools I went to has created and strengthened my relationships with some of my former teachers. I was a Safety Patrol Officer in the same classroom of a teacher that I spent most of the year doing service learning hours with. Getting to know her on a more personal level helped me discover where I was going with my education.

6. My opinion of my hometown

I absolutely love the town I live in now. There is something so beautiful and amazing about every single opportunity and connection I have in this town. This is a place where I can see my career taking off, a place where I can build strong relationships, and a place where I can make a life for myself. I don’t know if I’d have the same opinion if I’d traveled for college, but I’m certainly glad I made the decision to stay.