An Open Letter to My Hometown

Dear Coshocton,

Thank you for being the town I grew up in. Thank you for being a place that I could make a lot of memories in. Thank you for being a place that I met some amazing friends in. But understand that slowly my ties to you are disappearing.

Here is the thing. The longer I am away from you, the more people I know that leave. Most of my friends have already left or will be leaving within the next few years. A few will go back, but most will spend the rest of our lives somewhere else. There isn't much left for most of us in you, Coshocton. I know if I went back with my degree after I graduate, I wouldn't be able to go into the career path I intend to take.

Also, I'm not the person I was when I left. In fact, I am a completely different person. If some of the people who used to know me and don't keep in contact with me tried to talk to me now, they would be very confused. I have grown as a person. My ideas about the world have changed. How I see the world itself has changed.

To say I have outgrown you would be an understatement. I can't do half of the things I love here anymore. I have more than simply outgrown you. That passed the second I left for college.

Thank you for all of the memories. They are something I will cherish forever. And thank you for the friends. Because while sometimes it is hard for us to stay in touch super well as we continue our lives on different paths, I know there are friendships I made thanks to you that I could not have made anywhere else. I know that these friendships grew because of experiences I could not have gained in another town.

I really do appreciate growing up in this town. But, I have to move past this town now. I will not be spending my summer here and hopefully will not be spending any of my remaining summers here as well. There comes a time that everybody has to move on. My time has come, Coshocton and while I appreciate everything you have done for me and all of the connections I have made because of you, I will not be coming back.

Thanks for being my hometown,

A College Student who has to Move On