In my high school days, I was becoming what I'd like to dub a "hometown hater." We have all fallen victim to this phenomenon at some point. There exists a moment of your life that you look around and want to break out of the rut that you're in. Arguably the largest and most common is the angst that festers in our heart against the place we grew up.

"There's nothing here for me."

"I can't wait to leave this town and never come back."

These are just two of the many thoughts that this brings about. The day I graduated high school, I thought to myself that never coming back was what I wanted. As I get older and spend more time away from that little slice of heaven I grew up on, the more I appreciate what it is and how I grew up there.

I initially moved a long distance away for school, then shortened it while still having some distance. My first experience was in Alabama, about 10 hours away from home, and now I live about two hours away. Initially, I loved it. The freedom and experience of mingling ideas with those that are so much different than myself was wonderful. It opened my mind to many things that I would've blocked out otherwise. I'm forever grateful for what I learned. However, the more time I spent, the more I realized the core values instilled in myself and those around me were so different, too. The small things my mom and dad taught me growing up weren't the same as other people. This was the first time I realized that everyone's inner code of ethics and ideas about the world are much more different than I had once believed. Although it has shown me that I must stand up for what I believe in, I always miss that feeling of commonality and community that washes over me each time I visit home.

In addition to the difference in ideas, there's a huge difference in the land and towns themselves that we see as "home" versus the place we reside in. At home, I'm just minutes away from my dad's hunting ground, the lake where I drop a line in or the little shop I love to get ice cream from on a hot day. Where I live now is great, and being so close to St. Louis provides me with all of the shopping, eating and entertainment I need, especially with Cardinals' games, but it just isn't quite the same. There's something intangible, but marvelous about driving on the same road you used to drive with your buddies or fishing on the same bank you have since you were little. The sentimental value is enough to make it awesome every time.

I can't degrade any place I've lived. I loved Alabama and I loved Edwardsville. Both places have impacted my life in such an amazing way and each has loads of opportunity for my future. I don't think I will ever live full-time in Murrayville or Jacksonville (my home) as I love the St. Louis area so much. That being said, I will never turn down a chance to spend a weekend there with my friends and family. I am no longer a "hometown hater."