Here's to the small town that built me. I will be forever grateful to my parents for moving us out to Lafayette, Tennessee all those years ago. I met some of the best possible people growing up here. It's one of those towns where everyone literally knows everyone. If Suzy and Dave broke up everyone knew within minutes and we all knew exactly who had beef with who. Everyone remembers every little detail about everyone because who knows when it's going to come in handy. It's a town where you're known by your older siblings and you can't get out of their shadows even if you try. This is the town that built me. Tiny Lafayette, with our Walmart, 7 gas stations, and tons of fast food. Lafayette, where the only real places to hang out are Sonic and Piggly Wiggly parking lot. Lafayette, where you're history teachers were almost always coaches of some kind and where the football players are Gods, even the shitty ones. Lafayette taught me so many things. My manners and my temper. I got taught my love of football here. This is where I fell in love with running as a sport. This is where I didn't exactly fit in, even with my older brother's reputation. This is where I wasn't picked on but I also wasn't dating material and both of those were because everyone knew my dad and brother. This is where I tested the elasticity of the rules and realized that they didn't bend nearly as much as I thought they would. This is where I've spent the majority of my life. This is where I grew up. This is where I would take walks out back of Grandma and Grandpa's property. This is where I learned that death will come for the people you love, even if you aren't ready for it. This is where I caught my first lightening bug. Where I learned to say please and thank you. This is where I learned to take care of living things. This is where I learned that I didn't fit in to a mold that so many fit into. This is where I learned that church wasn't really for me. This is where I discovered fierce loyalty. This is where so many of my memories lie. This is where I met some of the best people and did the dumbest things, all for the sake of being able to say "I did it". This is where I was shaped into the person I am today. This is where I learned so much in so little time. I am twenty years old and in college that is hour and a little bit away from home. I am a college student, and this is my nod to the town that built me. You have taught me so very much in my life, and you will always be home to me.