Growing up, I never really appreciated my small town. Living in a small town always felt like I was a product of who my parents were and how I was perceived in the public eye. I didn’t mind that sort of thing, as I never really did anything to shame myself or my parents; however, I always wanted to leave for a period of time in order to create my own life. I wanted to separate from my comfortable life in order to become my own person, meet new people, and expand my thoughts and outlook on life. I hoped and dreamed for most of my high school experience about leaving my small town and spreading my wings. While I did get the opportunity to get out and forge a path for myself and am now living several hours away from the comfort of my small town, I have to admit, there are several qualities that I miss.

I miss being able to go out and drive roads that I know like the back of my hand. I miss walking into a grocery store and seeing friendly, familiar faces. I miss driving to relative’s homes and being with the people that I love. I miss walking into local restaurants and being greeted by the staff who knew me by name. I miss my old summer job and the friendships and relationships that I cultivated through that experience. I miss the comfort and familiarity of my old schedule and routine. I miss catching up with people that I would see while running weekend errands. I miss my old hangout spots. I miss my church family. I miss my hobbies and activities from my old life. There was a sense of security and love that surrounded my life before starting college so far away and making my life my own.

While I do miss my old life, my old routine, friends, hobbies, and hangouts, I can say that new journeys are spectacular. While the mid semester blues definitely kicked in and created a sense of homesickness, I can attest that having experiences outside of my comfort zone have grown me. Being alone and making new friendships and relationships has been a wonderful experience. Learning to be alone has created a closer bond in my relationship with Christ and has caused me to lean on Him more than ever.

While I definitely do miss having a community environment that my small town provided, I am happy to have the opportunity to grow my own small community in my new life. While college is only temporary and the chances of me coming back to live in my childhood home are very probable, I am happy to have the separation in order to gain my own wisdom and direction for life. I love that I have grown up in a town which helped shape my path and direction for life and I look forward to visiting on breaks and reminiscing my old stomping grounds. Being taken out of the daily grind of small town living to living on a campus which is double the size of the town I am from has given me appreciation for both ways of life.