Looking back on my freshman self, I was a girl that wanted nothing more than to get out of this town that I had grown up in for the past eighteen years. One's first year of college is overwhelming to say the least. From meeting new faces to joining new organizations, and we can’t forget trying to balance; sleep, a social life, and school.

I was so caught up in everything, I began to forget everything my small hometown of Nevada, MO had given me. In college you are constantly meeting new people and one of the most common questions people ask is, "so where are you from?". Every time I would mention it to someone, their initial response would be assuming it was Nevada, as in the state. Once I corrected them they didn't seem as impressed, but it was because of the many times explaining this, that I began to think about how truly special of a town I was blessed to grow up in. Over the past few weeks of being home for winter break, I began to think about everything that I had once forgotten. I came up with a few of the main gifts this town gave me in what seemed at the time, the longest eighteen years of my life, but was actually gone in the blink of an eye.

Sonic
This was the ultimate hangout for those of us who grew up in small towns. Hang out on the patio and you were bound to run into someone you knew. We didn't have a mall so you could either find us here or somewhere out in the middle of a field. I don't feel homesick often, but when I do I take a drive to sonic and it immediately feels like home. Maybe it was the half-priced shakes and appetizers, or it could be because a majority of my high school memories were created on the weekends in that Sonic parking lot.

Ever-changing weather.
Do you like the snow or are you more of a sunshine person? Either way I have good news for you because Missouri has all four seasons wrapped into one. You can expect sunshine in December, just like you can expect snow in March. I remember hating this growing up, but now as I'm older I am thankful for living in a state where as Forrest Gump said it best, "Mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.'” The same applies to Missouri weather, if visiting one can never predict the weather. They can expect to wear flip flops and snow boots within the same weekend. I like to think of Missouri as the state with the best of both worlds.

Friday night football games.
No matter if you were cheering on the sidelines, in the stands, a half-time performer, or out there on the field being the star of it all. You gave this town something to look forward to every Friday night in the fall. Win or lose the town was proud of you and looking back, some of your best memories were created in that stadium. From cheering on your high school fling, spending countless hours getting ready with friends, and the unforgettable car rides to cheer them on at your rivalry school. Friday night football games were a huge part of this town and even if you weren't a sports fan, come Friday night you would be in the stands cheering your team on.

That delicious burger joint.
Every town has one and what makes it so great is that it has been around before you were even born. This place has seen many first dates, anniversaries, and game winning celebrations. The pictures hanging on the walls have many stories to tell and just thinking about this place makes you begin craving one of their signature-greasy hamburgers.

Teachers who believed in you when you didn’t believe in yourself.
From pre-k to senior year, there were always those individuals who cared about you and wanted you to succeed. They would do everything they could to make sure it happened. Even the extremely hard teachers who at the time, we thought only wanted to make us suffer. Those teachers who pushed and challenged me are who I owe so much because they helped make me more prepared for what was to come in college.

When tragedy struck there wasn’t a better support system.
Tornadoes, house fires, or an unexpected child's death is when this town's true character and support they had for one another was most evident. The love of a small town is deeper than the ocean and wider than anything we can ever imagine and my town is living proof of this. Making me proud to say I grew up in a town that instilled these values into me and ones that I will pass onto my future children.

How it gave me wings to fly away.
As cliché as it sounds, without this town I would not have been dying to get out. I would not be succeeding in college and I would not be in the same place that I am at this exact moment. Is this to say that I want to leave my college life and move back to my small town? Not necessarily, this is more of a thank you letter for everything this place has given me. You may not be able to point it out on a map and we may not be the ultimate tourist destination, but this place is filled with a huge amount of love and people who are truly one of a kind. I find happiness in knowing that no matter where this crazy life takes me, this will always be my hometown and if I choose to ever come back, it will welcome me with open arms.