Growing up, I liked where I was from, but never really paid much attention to all that it really provided me with. After moving away for college, I have truly realized how blessed I am to grow up where I have. Even today, I am so proud of where I came from and love talking about everything my hometown gave to me throughout the years. I was lucky enough to have everything I could think of from a retail prospective within just a couple miles, but even more importantly I was surrounded by people filled with love, hope and faith in me and my dreams. Thank you Troy, for being my home town, my safe place, my peacful getaway and so much more.
1. Safety.
This is first and there is a reason for it. I was blessed to grow up in one of the safest cities in the state and country and there is no way to put the importance on how that feels into words. It is just an added comfort to not have to worry about any of the stuff that goes along with safety, at any age.
2. My education.
Similarly to safety, the schooling in our city is among the best of the best. That education has put me at an advantage no only moving forward in school, but in life and the experiences that went along with it, thanks to my school district, teachers and students that I grew up with.
3. Memories.
Although I wasn't born a Michigander, the majority of my memories spark from the great city I call home. When I go back during breaks or holidays, I look around the city thinking about all the places and people that I had adventures with throughout my years there. Whether it's the little restaurant on the corner or a friend's house that I haven't seen a while, I can't help but smile at the times we had.
4. Somerset Mall.
If you have been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. There is a feeling, aura and happiness that goes along with this place for me. No matter how old I was, this place always meant good times. When there wasn't anything else to do, walking around, dreaming about and looking at all the things we couldn't buy was obviously the best.
5. A strong high school rivalry.
Troy High vs Athens. It was powerful in the moment and always will be. It's hard to explain to people who haven't experienced it in its entirety. It was the deer head, the themed attire, the chants, the sporting events, the excitement and the passion all rolled into one. The colts and the hawks, and the memories that go along with them, will always mean something to us, no matter how much we want deny it. Back then, it was a big deal.
6. Fro-yo shops on every corner.
This may have been a fad, but it was pretty convinent to have one within a mile from any house or location we may have been at for the evening, in every direction. Whether it was Orange Leaf, Zoyo, Sweet Island or any of the others, we could always find a shop to kick our craving.
7. Charity Week.
Another event that is hard to explain, unless you lived it. Each year as a school we raised as much money as we could in seven days for a local charity we selected. Thinking about it now, I still get goosebumps thinking about the over 200,000 dollars that were raised throughout my four years, and I will honestly never forget them. At the end of the week each year, a banner with our total was revealed in front of the school and each time, the total went up from the previous, my jaw dropped and my love for our school and our community reached an all time high.
8. Tough skin.
Our school district is one of the best in the nation, which also makes it one of the most difficult and that wasn't always easy, but the toughest skin came from putting up with the weather. Whether it was feet upon feet of snow, golf ball sized hail, non-stop rain or anything in between, we learned to put up with the worst of the worst and always managed to get through it fine.
9. Snow days.
While the snow and blistering cold was horrendous, when we got snow days, it was all worth it. One year we had three snow days in a row following winter break, and I may have been the happiest person ever. These rare occasions made living in the mitten just a tad bit more managable.
10. Friends that became family.
I honestly can not imagine being who or where I am in my life without being surrounded by my family, that isn't necessarily my blood relatives. Between my kindergarten best friend, that has since moved across the country and I still love, to my best friends from middle and high school that I talk to every day, I couldn't have been more blessed to live in a town with such amazing people.
11. Beautiful summers.
While the winters were not quite perfect, most summers made up for it. It brought pools, lemonade stands, sprinklers, sunshine and our realization of our love for Michigan. Along with this came the opportunity to go "Up North" which was probably the best thing about our state.
12. A place to grow.
From kindergarten to the time I left for college, I did a lot of growing up in that city. It nurtured us, taught us lessons, loved us and helped us become who we are. Not a lot of people have a city quite like us to call home and from toddler to teen, so I'm lucky that it all happened there.
13. A home.
It isn't enough to say I love this place. We may not have had the most to do on a Friday or Saturday night, or so we thought, but everything else, it did. It had the comfort, the people, the love and so much more. It was and always will be my home, no matter where in the world I go or how old I get. And for that, I will be forever grateful.
