To My Tiny Little Town and My Forever Family,

Today, I thank you. I thank you for this beautiful life. For the love that you have engraved in my heart and soul. I thank you for the endless support from those who know me and even those who don't. I thank you for blessing me with unforgettable friendships that will last a lifetime as you were my first friends, my forever friends. To this place that holds my heart and to the people who have changed me in any way at all from the time I was a baby in diapers, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, as I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world.

All our lives, we find ourselves searching for the place where we belong. The place that consumes our soul and holds our secrets, our fears, while also our complete and utter happiness. The place that makes us feel safe, regardless of the broken shards of glass scattered among our past that left the scars on our hearts. Often times while looking back into life's rear-view mirror, we find that before we were able to appreciate the little moments brought our way time and time again, we had taken off into a full on sprint through life headed in the direction we thought was the right one.

Today, as I have remembered some of my favorite little moments that I was lucky enough to capture on the way to where I'm going, I can't help regret having wished it away far more quickly than I should have. While reflecting on all the little things that I miss more than anything, I would like to take a moment to thank this beautiful place that built me. The place and the people that held my hand through life, and sent me on my way to be a better me, a me that I am so incredibly proud of.

For as long as I can remember, I've been thrown among a town, a school, and a family small enough to know everyone. In this web of acquaintances, you learn to love people more than you ever thought you would, or even thought you could. You create a bond unimaginable to most. A bond so strong that when united you're unstoppable. While creating this bond, this family, I have inevitably found my biggest fans in life, and even those who don't support me, but I couldn't and wouldn't wish for anything different.

When one chooses to leave this imperfectly perfect little town, you come to find that there's nothing in the world that can compare. There will be places in life that are better, or worse, but nothing truly the same. Through all it's undeniable pain and loss, we have learned to come together and provide support in all the ways you could imagine. In the times of happiness, we have learned to support one another and believe in the ability to help pursue one another's dreams.

Leaving the place that I was able to call home for all my life, has made me realize that this is so much more than just a place, or a pretty picture. It is the place that I found myself, and my love and passion for others. The place that taught me to feel real pain and how to find my strength. This is the place I can count on time and time again to rejuvenate my heart and remind me of who are am, and all I aspire to be in the crazy world. This place keeps me sane and drives me crazy all at the same time. This place has given me the friends that I hold nearest to my heart.

As we all continue on the road to where we're going, no matter where it may go, I am blessed to have been a part of this place, these people and all it has to offer. From the bottom of my heart, I thank this beautiful place that built me. May it forever be my home.

"My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish"