It Took Me A While, But I Love My Hometown
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It Took Me A While, But I Love My Hometown

Normal, Illinois will always have a piece of my heart.

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It Took Me A While, But I Love My Hometown
Emily Henrichs

Growing up, I wasn't a huge fan of my hometown. As I grew older, I realized the value of my hometown. I started to like it more and more. I began to see the many memories it held. Anywhere from late night drives, Dairy Queen trips at two A.M., and incredible people who I have spent many years laughing alongside. Even though most people would like to disagree with me, I believe that my hometown is one of a kind.

To give you more information, I grew up in a big town with a small town feel. It's the kind of town where you can to the grocery store, and run into someone you know. I grew up with friends who have helped to create crazy memories. For instance, something as simple as going to Uptown has brought memories that I will honestly never forget.

My friends and I have spent hours upon hours upon days upon weeks, you get the point, talking about our future, going on road trips, sitting in parking lots because honestly, our town doesn't have that much to do. But, it does have great people. People who have left an impression on myself and others.

These people deserve a series to honor them, but sadly, I am not at that point in my writing "career." Anyways, just because I grew up in a place that most people hate, does not mean I hate it, too. Sure, it may not be my number one choice all the time, but it sure does hold stories that I will tell my likely children and my possible grandchildren.

To start off, I want to talk about the day I met one of my best friends. Honestly, I'm a little blurry on the exact details, but I met her in junior high. We have spent numerous days at our go-to spot, The Coffeehouse, together. We have retold stories again and again, solely because they make us laugh so much. We have gotten way to personal with some information that we share, but I would not have it any other way. Thank you, Hannah, for giving me these special memories.

Another great one to talk about is late night drives. I'm not sure about you, but late night drives are some of my favorite past times. Blasting the music, singing along, and laughing at ourselves because we look stupid is a one of a kind experience. A favorite drive of mine was going to the lake. Even though it's only 20 minutes away, it still reigns supreme.

Furthermore, going on the random adventures in my town, and finding the most random but coolest places has been sweet. I have seen sites of peace all over. I have come across these areas because of the people who surround me on a daily basis. We have come to call them "our spot."

My hometown is a place filled with people who genuinely care about you. Whether that's your wellbeing, a part of your day, or something else; they love staying in touch with you. Not in a creepy way though.

I know many people who do not like where they grew up. They think they grew up in the worst place. They base the worth of their town on the things to do there. Let's be honest, a hometown is not about what's there; it's about the people who surrounded you.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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