Growing up in a small town is never easy, it's turning short trips to the grocery store into a reunion for your mom and her old high school friends and not being able to go out at night sometimes because of the 'bad' neighborhoods. It isn't all bad though because you can make some of the closest friends in a small town. I've been taught over the years to learn to love where I've been raised my entire life, but I soon realized there's a whole big world out there ready to be discovered by visionary youth. Traveling was a huge deal to me because I had never really ventured outside my state before, going from small town in Mississippi to huge city in Illinois was a drastic change of scenery, but it brought out my love for city life. Having to come back home and readjust was difficult because I wanted more, I wanted to see what else was out there. Living in a small town doesn't really give you the feeling of being able to spread your wings because you feel isolated because some people think you dream too big and some think you don't dream big enough. I was taught growing up that you should always dream big and accomplish great things, even if it's only great in your eyes. Never try to please others if it's only going to leave you sad.

The truth of the matter is no matter how small the town is you grew up in, a little piece of your heart will always remain here even if you venture off somewhere beyond your norm. It's never easy to live in a small town but it's truly a very humbling experience if it's all you've ever known. No matter how far I go or how many miles I am from home, my heart will still remain right here in this town.