In a town as small as Hampstead Maryland, there's no way you can stay within the town limits. That's why my family didn't.
Technically, we lived in Westminster with a 21157 zip code. Living in the middle of nowhere, however, meant that we went to the closest Main Street for our needs. This just so happened to be Hampstead. I went to Spring Garden Elementary, Shiloh Middle, and North Carroll High. Throughout my entire childhood, I spent time at the pond behind Weis, or at Rita's, or Hampstead Day, or the carnival. I love Hampstead and a piece of my heart will always be there from the frustration of the constant road work to the sinking feeling in my gut when North Carroll was announced closed. Although a ten-minute drive away, Hampstead was and always will be my home.
For about 12 years or if my life, I was also a swimmer (taught by the current Hampstead Olympian, Katie Zaferes). This meant that summer after summer, I spent at least five days of the week at the pool in Manchester. I had a bunch of friends that lived so far from me, but we knew each other through the pool. After I quit the swim team, I learned how much I would miss it. Afternoons became wide open with nothing to do. Manchester was downgraded to the town we went to for the veterinarian. But you know, I still pass through it every now and again and I remember all the childhood memories.
As mentioned before, Westminster is my TRUE hometown. I've lived there basically all my life since we moved in before I was two. And boy, have I loved it. All the neighborhood kids would come to our house and sometimes we'd go down to the stream and catch crayfish. I remember being obsessed with catching butterflies and beating the record I set the day before. I remember going to the 4-H fair and loving all the animals, growing up to be good friends with some of the 4-Hers. I remember when 140 was the only major road I knew and how the trips to the mall meant a haircut and candy for twenty-five cents. I remember the library that used to have caterpillars for the kids to look at and learn about. I also remember going to the Carroll Art Center on Main Street when my elementary school art teacher, Mrs. Vanbibber, entered everyone's art. I didn't live in the busy part of Westminster, but we sure were there a lot! Westminster is my home, my first home out of three that all means so much to me. Why anyone would want to leave these towns or this county, in general, is beyond me. But that's alright. With the negativity moving out, I'll only love it more.
