I grew up and lived in the same town until I was 18. Everyone I knew was constantly looking for a way to get out and leave the town; no one seemed to enjoy what it had to offer. Granted, I grew up in a town in southern Illinois (yes we had more than just corn fields) that never seemed even the least bit exciting. Even I complained about the town, but now, after moving across the country and living in a new place for the past month, I realize how great that town really was.

In the seventh grade my parents came to me and told me we were moving. However I was not worried because they told me we were not leaving for another five years. They said after I graduated high school that my dad would retire and we planned to move south. Even though five years seemed so far off, the time seemed to fly by. Each year anticipation grew inside of me and I began to savor each moment with my friends as time grew shorter. When my senior year began, I knew it was a year of lasts; not just lasts of high school, but lasts for a town I spent forever in. I felt more pressure to enjoy everything that was offered to me throughout the year and was determined to make it a good one.

Senior year was not easy; I took hard classes, applied to colleges, had a job and a social life, and balanced a stressful move that was inching closer by the day. All the seniors around me seemed to wish the days away and look forward to prom and graduation while I sat back and wished that it would just slow down. Any Friday night that I did not have plans I would text a friend and see if they wanted to go for ice cream or have a movie night. My favorite ice cream place was only a fifteen minute drive from my house and I remember spending days in class where all I could think about was going home that night to go and get a waffle cone.

Once summer started everyone around me seemed to once again be wishing their days away. I have seen an endless number of tweets saying "Can't wait to leave this town and go to college." Yes I am excited for college but at the same time this is the last summer that we have to ourselves, it seems.