Sheltered suburbia, where privilege is the norm and entitlement is a mindset. The past 16 years I have spent in the suburbs outside of Atlanta have served me well, however, it has opened my eyes to what it is truly like to be in a sheltered community. The average household income of where I live is around $135,000, which is almost quadruple the national average. Poverty is almost unheard of, crime is low and resources are abundant. There is a sense of entitlement amount youth and adults alike. So much is catered to those in a suburban community and often expectations are high.

I have only done a small amount of traveling, but after seeing the diversity in California, the crime in inner city Atlanta, simple way of life in the Adirondack mountains, and the cultural acceptance in New York, I can't help but compare it to the closed minded and sheltered life in Roswell, GA. Political views sway to one side in the area. Even fashion sense remains generally conservative. Helicopter parents spread the town gossip. One half mile strip of shopping is as close to a "big city feel" as you can get. I can't help but notice, that these things are stereotypically characteristics of a sheltered suburbia. I often ask myself; If I had grown up in a big city or an international hub, how would these things be different?

Granted, various towns across America share this sense of encasement to the outside world, but the overall perception from those raised in suburbia remains fairly constant. Only those who experience frequent travel can truly say that they view the world from multiple lenses. Taking a trip outside of what many call home, opens up one's perception of what the world is REALLY like.

Personally, I haven't witnessed a killing, gone without food, openly participated in a movement or worn an outlandish outfit without receiving judgement. These are things that I have not experienced growing up in a sheltered suburbia. Where I have grown up has shaped me, changed me and molded me. But what it has also done is shield me from the outside world. This "shield" is one I am grateful for in some aspects but opposed to in others. I am grateful for its safety and comfort but opposed to its closed mindedness and conformity. I look forward to continuing to live the last 2 years at home where I was raised, but also eager to branch out and explore other communities and what they have to offer. I hold a sense of curiosity for what it might have been like to grow up somewhere else, but I am thankful to call Roswell home.