Seven thousand people. That is the population of my hometown. There were eight hundred students in my school. We had one high school that taught students from not only our town, but a couple surrounding ones, as well.

Taking a trip to the grocery store, you’ll know just about every face you see. The whole town attends the high school sporting events. Surrounded by corn, getting stuck behind buggies being the only annoyance in traffic, and living a maximum of five minutes from all of your friends. This is how I grew up.

I won’t deny that I wished I had lived anywhere else. I wanted to live somewhere that was warm, where I could go to the beach, and there was always something to do. And I’d be lying if I said I want to go back to live there when I graduate.

However, looking back on it, I am so happy that I grew up where I did. I was constantly surrounded by family. Living in a tight-knit community, the familiarity was comfortable. I was able to hang out with friends whenever I wanted, I could walk around at night and not be scared. My mom didn’t have to worry when I was in elementary school and would ride my bike to get there; it was a safe environment. Knowing the faces of the workers when you’d order food at the drive-thru, and having small talk while you waited for your food. These are little things that I cherish and wouldn’t have been able to experience had I grown up elsewhere.

So, as much as I want to go off to a big city and accomplish big things, I will never forget where I came from. It’s important to always remember and appreciate where you came from; it helped to mold you into the person you are today. I am so grateful to have grown up in the community that I did. My small town will always be home to me.