Don't get me wrong, I am beyond excited to go to college next year. I am excited to experience what the world has in store, to meet new people, and to learn to call a new place home. However, nothing will ever compare to my forever home, my hometown.

There is something about the place where you grow up that makes it more special than anything else in the world. It's not only the place, but the people in it. You have learned all that you know from the people and from this town. Every memory that you've made as a child took place in this town. From your first steps to your high school graduation, it's the only place that you have truly called home.

So, thank you to my hometown for teaching me how to appreciate a place for what it's worth. Thank you for allowing my friends and family to all grow up in the same place together. Thank you for late-night ice cream runs and for cozy nights in at a friend's house. Thank you for endless adventures while blasting music in the car. Thank you for the yearly carnivals that I will remember for the rest of my life. Thank you for your beauty. There is nothing like driving along the ocean and looking at the glistening water and full harbor. Thank you for allowing me to grow up in such a wonderful place.

As you move on with your life, you will meet new people, travel to new places, and have incredible experiences. Nothing, though, will compare to the 18 or so years you spent in your forever home. Nothing will compare to those days and nights that you spent with your high school friends at each other's houses, holidays with family, and knowing your entire town inside and out. So, as you move on with your life and become excited to move on to the next chapter, always remember your hometown as the place that raised you to become who you are today.