To all of the fellow townies out there, maybe this story will hit home for some of you. To those who may be wondering what in the world "townie" even is, it is simply a colloquial term for a person that lives in a town. In Lagrange, it's a name used quite often for people who go to our beloved Lagrange College that also are from the town of Lagrange.

If you're one who has been called by this name before, maybe you already know that it can seem offensive at first, but you eventually grow to accept it. For me, it took a hot minute to accept, given my circumstances. Contrary to common belief, this townie, and possibly many others, never imagined they would grow up to stay here for college as well. Don't get me wrong, I love where I am now, but you should know it took me some time to get there.

To give you a bit of backstory, I never knew I was going to be at Lagrange College until the month of May AFTER graduation. I know, some of you cannot fathom not having your college situation on-lock early on. However, the level of big decision-making that went into choosing where I would go, mostly regarding money, caused a little delay for my family. I thought I had my fancy college experience all laid out for myself. I planned to be, and was almost enrolled, at the University of North Georgia up until the moment in May when my parents told me otherwise. They decided the best possible option for us was to have me here in town at Lagrange College and living at home in order to save us from piles of debt.

I cannot describe how much I wanted to just push my parents to see that everyone goes through this college debt thing and it's just the way it goes. I wanted to make them understand that the only place I wanted to be was off on my own like all of my other friends living the typical "college experience." I didn't push any of these things, though. I wanted them not to have to feel bad about their decision that I knew was meant to be for my best interest, and so I decided in that moment to always choose to make the best of my situation.

I personally believe that my life is in God's hands, and that this was not outside of His plan. So I chose to go along with it rather than drag my feet on the ground, and I am so much better for it. I constantly try to live this out now, and it comes with much less effort as I have actually found a home in this school. From the beginning, I plugged in where I could. I am in a sorority, AOII, which I love so much and have found so many loving friendships in. I stay on campus so much that some people may not even know I live elsewhere, and I love it.

Now I know that some of my friends will never stop being surprised when we walk into literally any place in Lagrange and I without fail see AT LEAST one person I know, and that's okay. I know that some people assume that townies are people who just didn't have it in them to leave the nest, and that's okay, too, because I will I have my time one day. I have found that it is all in your outlook. Having a broader outlook has shown me that I truly get the best of both worlds. There are many precious moments I get to have with my family that I wouldn't have otherwise, on top of experiencing life with all my new friends. I love the new life I am making in college, but I also get to hold on to a small part of that old life I had with my old church, my family, and the same old town.

There are perks like knowing the in's and out's of places my friends don't know, and getting home cooked meals I can invite people over for. Then of course the biggest thing, saving money. Also, there really is such a thing as "townie love," because there is something special about finding people who are in the same boat as you, and something funny about being able to make jokes from middle school to now.

In the end, though, that's not what makes it worth it. It's knowing that you have the power to make the absolute best of your college years no matter where you are. This time is all about growth and becoming the person you need to be for your future career, future family, and past, present, and future friends. For me, it was about learning to appreciate where you are and the people you're with. I think this lesson also ties over into any area of life because we never know the hand we will be dealt, but we can always control how we react to whatever situation we are faced with.

I know the day will come for me when I am blessed with all kinds of freedom and I plan to be ready, but I also plan to cherish the place I'm in now. I have big plans for my future, and I promise you Lord-willing I will go through with them as I live out His love no matter where I go. I love my hometown, and I love my college. No matter where my freedom takes me later on, I will always hope I have this place to come back to. One more thing you can be sure of, for all these reasons I will never regret being called a townie.