I first moved to Fayetteville, GA in 2004. I was only eight years old.

At first, I hated Georgia. I hated everything it, purely because it wasn’t home for me. I found something negative about Georgia in everything I did, everywhere I went and everyone I met. Then, however, I realized that Georgia was my new home, and it wasn’t so bad after all.

Packing up my house and preparing to never return to Fayette County has been very sentimental and much more difficult than I ever imagined it would be, considering I had always looked forward to the day I could finally say goodbye forever.

I was lucky enough to have met some of my best friends right here at home. I am so incredibly thankful to have had such amazing people enter my life and change it (and me) for the better. They are the friends who I shared countless sleepovers, birthdays and holidays with. They’re the friends I know I’ll have by my side forever.

Driving around town for the last few times brings back so many memories.

I drive past the restaurant I worked at for two years, Royal Stix. I think about how much fun I had getting to know the employees and the customers. They were all such a big part of my life, and now all I can do is drive by and remember all the fun times I had working there.

I drive past the Avenue in Peachtree City, where my friends and I all used to hang out, despite the fact that we probably had no money to spend at all. We always had money for something at Francesca’s, though.

I drive by the DMV where I failed my first permit test, passed my second and got my license. I was so excited to finally be able to drive my baby-blue convertible Volkswagen Beetle home and get my own license plate (TXGIRL2, since I am from Texas.)

Finally, I drive home. I drive through my beautiful neighborhood and turn on to my street. I drive down a large hill to a stop sign that allows me to appreciate the beautiful wooded skyline in front of me. I continue down my street and I pull into my driveway, where all of our neighbors and their kids are gathered with my parents. Everyone is always smiling and laughing, telling stories, running around and playing.

I lived 12 years taking these places, people and moments for granted. Everyday I prayed for time to speed up so I could finally leave this town and never return; but now I’m not ready to leave.

As I reflect on my time in Fayette County, my heart swells with sadness and gratitude. I’m leaving the place that became my home for 12 years of my life. 12 years is a really long time, but it went by in the blink of an eye.

So thank you, FayCo, for an amazing childhood, great memories and the best 12 years a kid could ask for. Farewell.