Anyone from a small town understands all of the little things. I am from Bellbrook, Ohio, a small town south of Dayton. I have been born and raised in Bellbrook and so have my parents and grandparents. This year, Bellbrook turn 200 years old, so everyone is super excited.
1. You love Dairy Shed more than any large-scale ice cream store.
Dairy Shed is your go-to summer snack. In middle school, we would all walk there at the end of the year. In high school, we would go to celebrate the weekend. Now, being in college, I go to make myself excited to be home.
2. Is it McIntosh or Dinwiddies?
I don’t know about you guys, but I will never be able to get used to calling it McIntosh’s. There, you can always find someone you know. Usually, it’s the same people there on the same nights, and it is the go-to for parents on the weekend.
3. The Sugar Maple Festival and the Lions Club Carnival are your favorite times of the year.
The festival and carnival mean you can bash on some food. Funnel cakes, Bourbon chicken, fried Oreos, fried pickles, cotton candy and so much more. Bring your dimes, dollars and friends for some shopping, gambling and eating.
4. Bills doughnuts is your go-to place for a midnight snack.
Twenty-four-hour doughnut shop? Yes, please! Even though it’s a town over, everyone and their mom loves some Bills. Any kind of doughnut you can imagine, and they are amazing. If you’ve never been, I highly suggest checking it out!
5. Warm, sunny day? Love basketball? Vemco is your answer.
Every time it is nice outside, there is no doubt there are people playing basketball at Vemco. Kids of all ages come together and play against each other to enjoy their nice day.
6. Blueberry Cafe. That is all.
We love our Blueberry Café, pancakes bigger than your face, biggest omelets you’ve ever seen and the best muffins around delivered to you by the muffin man himself. Our little hole in the wall café is busy every hour it is open.
7. During the fall, there is no question that on Friday you would be at the football games.
Even before high school, football games were the go-to. We didn’t even start watching the game until freshmen year; we would run around under the bleacher talking to our friends.
8. Over the summer, you could find all of your friends at the pool.
Whether it was Brookview or Five Seasons, the pool is exactly where you would meet up with your friends. Spending all day there was not unusual, especially if you didn’t have your license.
9. You knew almost everyone, if not everyone in your graduating class.
The largest class to go through Bellbrook High School was a little more than 200 people. This means everyone knew each other and had some type of interaction at one point of another. This also means there were no secrets in town; word always gets around at one point or another.
I wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else but Bellbrook. It is such a sweet little town, and if you've never visited, then stop by. I promise it's worth it.
