My home will always be my home even if I don’t want to live there for the rest of my life. Growing up in a small town was a unique experience. The town was not only small, but also fairly isolated. My graduating class had 132 students which, for the area, was considered large. My hometown was one of the largest in the area, but clearly was still quite small. Everyone in the town knew each other, and people were involved in each other’s lives. The closeness and personal relations had upsides and downsides. I always felt I had many people who cared about me, but I also often thought about how many people I had watching me. That said, the small town will always feel like home.
I will always have ties to the people there. Even though I may move forward with my life and meet new people there are people at home who have influenced my life in major ways. The people from home will always have a special place in my life and I will always feel at home around them. I feel loved when I’m home with them, and I’m thankful for the connection.
My home will always have memories of growing up. No matter how long I am away from my small town I will always have a flood of memories hit me when I go home to visit. Spending my childhood in the same area had created a connection between that place and my childhood memories. The connection will always be strong and I will always remember my childhood when I visit particular places. The street I grew up on, my elementary, middle and high schools, the parks, random fields, streets, stores and houses all have special meaning.
To some, it may feel silly to have a connection to a place. To me, it is only logical. To be drawn to the place I grew up, the place where I made my earliest memories, makes sense to me. Some think it's strange and backward to feel so strongly about such an isolated place, but the isolation is part of what makes it so special. Being so isolated makes the people you surround yourself with and the moments shared with them so incredibly special and meaningful. The lack of “entertainment” requires creating different sources of amusement. The small community creates strong relationships and personal connections.
I am thankful that my feelings toward my home are so happy and positive. I feel fortunate that my experiences growing up are such that make me happy when I visit home. Even though I feel a strong connection to my home, I don’t think I have to stay there forever. I want to experience different things in life. I want to go to new places, see new people and try new things. I want to go forward with my life accomplish goals and be proud of the things I do. I want to be able to look back on my life and see how far I have come. I look forward to going home and experience a flood of emotions as I am overwhelmed with memories. My home is preserved there in the memories, thoughts and feelings of my formative years. No matter how far I travel I will always carry those with me, from the place that shaped who I am.
