Dear Hometown, USA,
Hey there, it’s me. One of the many who left as soon as possible after high school graduation. I wanted you to know that it wasn’t because I hate you, or that I just had to get out of there; I just felt that I was ready for what the world had in store for me after spending my entire life within your small borders. I wanted to say thank you for all the lessons you taught me, just by being you.
You taught me that friends will come and go, no matter how long you’ve known one another. That girls can (and probably will) be mean, but eventually we all mature enough to put the past in the past. Not all will leave; some that I met in second grade playing city league soccer have stuck by me and will definitely be there for me, no matter how many times I make fun of their lame jokes or weird snacking habits. You showed me that, even after some friends go, life will be kind enough to eventually grant me friends that will love me through my weirdness and support me when the going gets rough. Friends who will blow up my phone all hours of the day and night because, despite our being hours away from one another, we have a lasting friendship, and we have you to thank for introducing us.
Thank you, hometown, for putting the kinds of role models in my young life whose lessons still ring true when I’m in a pinch. The kind of role models that come once in a lifetime. People who will never know how much their encouragement meant to me and how much I strive to bring little pieces of all of them into my future self. Role models that included teachers, coaches, youth group leaders, and even my own peers. The kind of role models who showed me it’s okay to be imperfect. That being imperfect is where we find our biggest opportunity for growth. Thank you, hometown, for giving me the kind of role models that make me believe that people are good and make me hope that there are multitudes of good people, just like them, out there inspiring others,
Finally, thank you for letting me know that it’s always okay to come back home. Thank you for continuing to grow, but never really changing. Thank you for helping me become the person I am today. Thank you for showing me that there will always be a community who is ready to welcome me back every holiday or long weekend that I get to visit you. Thank you for being hard to come back to but even harder to leave. I don’t think I could ever forget you, or the memories made with you because they’re a part of me. The good, the bad, and the even worse memories help me truly appreciate you, hometown.
Sincerely,
A proud American
