Hometowns are something that everyone has.
In my case, I have multiple hometowns. Growing up, we moved around a lot due to my dad’s job and the path he was on in his career. Throughout grade school, I attended three different school districts and lived in six different houses.
When I was growing up, and even now, I have always felt like I never truly had a home. I could never just name one town and say it was my hometown. My heart is in three different places, and each place truly helped shape me into the person that I am today.
The first hometown of mine was a teeny tiny town. My school was so small, everyone knew everyone and what car their mom drove. I lived in my first hometown from kindergarten until third grade.
I met my best friends and some of the most important people that are currently in my life in my first hometown. I began to grow and learn while I lived in my first hometown. I got my first pet and rode my first big girl bike. I made my first forever friends and my life truly took off from there. This hometown was full of firsts.
My second hometown. It was a dark place, not only the city itself and my school but the stages of life I was going through. I lived in this city from fourth grade until seventh grade. This town was huge, and my school district was almost ten times bigger than my previous school. It was a huge change.
Living in this town, I lost myself. My parents got divorced while we lived here. I hated school and myself. Some positive things did come out of this hometown though, I was on the cheer team for a couple of years, and I met another one of my forever friends. I also gained so many friends that are now like family.
While I don’t like looking back on this hometown, it helped me become the young lady that I am today. Without this hometown, I have no idea where I would be or who I would be.
My third hometown. My favorite. From eighth grade until current day, I have lived here. I met my ride or die, and other half here. My brother and I became best friends. I became truly happy here.
The opportunities and life I have in this hometown is nothing like before. Realizing the kind of person that I want to be and the future I want to make for myself is the biggest thing that happened to me. I could not be more thankful to call this place my favorite hometown.
A part of my heart lies within each one of my hometowns and is with each one of the special people that I have met during my time in each town. Although not each one of my hometowns was the best experience, all three of them helped me realize the kind of people that I want in my life and the kind of person that I want to be.
I read hometown articles all the time, and I can relate to almost all of them. While I can always relate to hometown articles, until now I never could say that I have a home. I now realize that I have three separate homes. I love each one of my hometowns and I can truly say that I have three hometowns.
From small towns to huge ones, I have seen a mixture of all kinds of people. The football games, holidays, cafés, and shopping malls. I have seen the different types in each one of my hometowns.
This one is for the kids who don’t just have one hometown, but multiple. For the kids who can relate to all the articles about hometowns, and the kids who have their heart’s in many different places.
