"I can't wait to move out of this town." I've said those words so many times. While that hasn't changed, my outlook certainly has. Recently, I've been learning the importance of loving where you live.

I still can't wait to move away. I've lived in the same area my whole life and I'm ready for something new and fresh. There's so many places I want to travel and even live. The beautiful thing about traveling is how it gives you a completely new perspective by seeing the way others live life, and I love experiencing that.

It's not bad that I want to move away. God gave us a desire to explore, to travel, to see the world that He's created. There is nothing wrong with that. But there is a problem when I resent where I'm living in this season of life, because that means I'm ignoring the fact that God has placed me here for a reason.

Too often, I talk of wanting to leave not just with a desire to travel, but with an ungrateful attitude. I complain about how sick I am of this small town with the same places and the same people. A coworker said that she moved here to go to college, and I was shocked - who would want to move to this boring area of VA? But then I realized that, though it may be old to me, it's something fresh for her. She sees the beauty that I don't notice because I've lived here all my life.

Often, it truly does take a fresh set of eyes to appreciate the beauty of a place. It's easy to zero in on what it isn't -- not enough mountains, too rural, not close enough to the beach, too urban -- and completely skip over what it is -- beautifully created by God. How can we complain and not be satisfied in what God has given us?

There is so much to appreciate about where I live. For one thing, my best friends are here! I can't imagine going the summer without seeing them, and they make even the most boring of events fun. We don't exactly live somewhere with lots of entertainment or attractions, but the lovely thing about friends is that you can do anything and still have a blast. Also, I'm an hour away from DC. It's nice to have something that close that I can visit. I may not live in a big city, but I'm within easy driving distance from many. And of course, how could I not mention the gorgeous VA mountains. I can't imagine living somewhere without mountains.

Yes, I'm excited to graduate college in a couple years and find somewhere new to call home. But in the meantime, I'm going to stop resenting my hometown for what it isn't. There is a lot of beauty to be found if only I change my perspective.