After a year of being away at school, followed by a month of travel, I was sitting in the airport waiting for my connecting flight home. As I anxiously waited, my flight was delayed and I griped to the older man next to me who seemed to be as irritated as I. Through conversing, we discovered he grew up in a small Indiana town not far from me. After conversation about travel, school and my future plans, he told me that after graduation he moved to San Francisco and never looked back.

Something he said really rubbed me the wrong way: “Indiana is the best place to grow up, and an even better place to leave.” Sure, Indiana has its downfalls: the terrible weather, the inevitable small-town gossip, or the landlocked fields of corn. But I feel passionately that even though it’s nice to leave sometimes, Indiana is an amazing place to call home.

Living in a small town provides us things we take for granted. Indiana is full of amazing people. Courtesy, honesty and hard work are morals engraved into generations of hoosiers. Our culture beats city life with the way our community becomes an extended family. There’s real beauty in everyone knowing everyone when neighbors are always willing to lend out a helping hand and friends are there through thick and thin. After being away for a while, coming home to be greeted with love and kindness from my community is priceless. Family is everything, and in my hometown I am lucky enough to have a great big one.

There’s something special about small communities centered around school systems. From secondary school to college, school pride runs in the blood. Whether they are supporting their children, nieces/nephews, or family friends, community support is always easily accessible. Friday nights are spent at the local football field and Saturdays are spent chanting “Hoo Hoo Hoosiers” or “Boiler Up Hammer Down” (preferably the latter of the two).

If you don’t think the Great Plains are beautiful, then you must have never seen the sun set over the top of them. Nothing beats being able to see the sun set from miles and miles away. It’s refreshing to feel the serenity of standing outside and breathing in the fresh air, rather than the bustle of a city. And although our weather hits extremes, we get to enjoy all four seasons: tulips blooming in the spring, sun shining in the summer, leaves changing in the autumn, and snow falling in the winter.

So, to the man at the airport, I’d say Smalltown, Indiana is a great place to grow up, and an even better place to return to. The comfort and safety of living here is unbeatable. I am proud of where I am, where I am going, but mostly, proud of where I come from.