When I was a senior in high school, I was beyond excited to get out of my hometown and away from all the people I had known my entire life. I was so ready for a fresh start in a new town with all new people. I chose to go to a university where I knew no one.This was my chance to make it big and to never come back to dinky ole' Montgomery, Alabama.
As high school students looking towards college, our thoughts are constantly with what's ahead. We can't stop dreaming about the freedom that comes with finally leaving your parents behind. You long for the days in a new town far away from your way too familiar hometown. If you were anything like me, you straight up thought your hometown was the worst.
For me, Montgomery was full of mistakes and friendships I wanted to leave behind. I went to a really small school and I had been with most of my classmates from the very beginning. Once you have been in school together for over seven years, you become an unwilling family--you almost HAVE to like each other. You know every inch of your hometown and you have a billion reasons to support why it is such a hellhole and why you would never ever come back to such a godforsaken place.
When I left for college, my general impression of Montgomery was that of an old decrepit town that was headed down a slippery slope into anonymity. It was slowly becoming irrelevant and I wanted nothing to do with it. The summers after my freshman and sophomore years I begrudgingly came back home to work. I dreaded the summers both years and yearned to be back in classes with all my friends.
However, all this changed this summer. I secured a job working for a law firm in downtown Montgomery right near the river. This job has helped me so much in learning what it means to be a lawyer and all the behind-the-scenes work that goes on with each case. Those aren't the only lessons I've learned. Being a runner, otherwise known as a general errand girl, I have learned so much more about the city of Montgomery.
In my errands, I have finally learned how to navigate around downtown with all of its crazy one-way streets. I've visited beautiful buildings like the Alabama Supreme Court building and the Federal Courthouse. I drive by the White House of the Confederacy and the State Capitol every day. My Post Office is right by the Civil Rights museum. I have gained knowledge on how to interact with city and federal employees. I even know the Ann Street Walmart like the back of my hand!
As a soon-to-be college graduate (OMG), I have gained a new respect for my hometown. Sure, it may seem small and out-dated at times, but it is full of a rich and colorful history that makes it unique. As a soon-to-be high school graduate, I could not wait to leave this place. As a soon-to-be college student, I don't want to leave it at all. I joke with my parents that I never want to grow up but adulthood is fast approaching. I am so incredibly thankful for a hometown that helped to mold me into the woman I am becoming. I can't wait to see where life will lead me next but I know I will always have Montgomery as my home.
