Dear Hometown,

Growing up here is something that I've always been ashamed of. I wanted to leave this black hole of a place for a very long time. I was tired of feeling so trapped because it was incredibly overwhelming.

Thankfully I found the light at the end of the tunnel and was able to move to college. Although, living somewhere else has really opened my eyes to the bigger picture. I realized that you, my hometown, have done more for me than I could have ever imagined.

I need to take a moment to express my gratitude for you. Thank you for helping my parents shape me into the person I am today. I wouldn't be this strong and independent person if it wasn't for all of the challenges that you have put in my way. Thank you for all of the small town traditions that the big city slickers will never understand. Thank you for the local grown veggies and the small mom and pop diners. Thank you for the crazy summer nights, the cold winter mornings, and the beautiful and everlasting autumn afternoons. Thank you for creating a supportive and passionate community for myself and others to grow in. Lastly, thank you for the friends that have turned into family over the last decade of my life.

I will always remember those late night drives with my best friends, the long walks on the nearby hiking trails, and the endless memories that have made me fall in love with you. I am forever grateful for the continuous amount of support that my high school teachers have given me.

I am always looking forward to the random weekends I drive home to visit. It fills my heart with warmth driving down the back roads and seeing the farmland for miles. You taught me that the little things are really the big things in life. Everything I know and love about you are the big and meaningful things I will carry with me forever.

You will always be my home, my place of comfort.

Sincerely,

Your Small Town Girl