As many seniors, and myself, prepare to leave, we are all very eager and excited to get out of our small towns. I’m from Asheville, North Carolina and I moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina. Asheville is where anyone from Hendersonville tells people they’re from because no one knows where Hendersonville is. Smaller than Hendersonville is Mills River, which is where most people who attend West Henderson live. Anyone from this area knows all the advantages and disadvantages to living in a small town. I can think of countless things I will and won’t miss once I leave.

I’ll miss all the places there are to drive around and listen to music and talk with your friends. I will miss the Blue Ridge Parkway–nothing will ever beat riding in the car with all the windows down with my friends and seeing the beautiful scenes of endless blue mountains. I’ll miss driving home from work on a Sunday evening on 191 and seeing the endless fields and warm sunset. I swear, nothing will ever make me feel as at peace as that drive does. I’ll miss countless drives up to "Jump Off Rock" jamming in the car to our favorite music with my friends, then enjoying the view, taking some Instagram pics and wasting our time in the best way possible. I’ll miss after-school trips to DuPont, more specifically to Fawn Lake, to sit on the dock and swim around with my favorite people. I’ll also miss driving to Hooper Lane at sunset and going off-roading in the fields there. Nothing feels more Mills River than spending time at Hooper Lane and spinning some mud.

I’ll miss drives to Asheville just so I can satisfy my White Duck Taco craving. I swear, I will never go anywhere with better tacos than those. If you're ever in Asheville, you have to try it. I’ll especially miss the one in the River Arts District because not only do you get amazing food, but you get to look at all the great graffiti and commissioned murals. I’ll miss the excitement before going to a concert at the Orange Peel and more than likely seeing half of your class there.

I will most definitely miss Joey's Bagels–if you’re from around Hendersonville, you know that Joey's Bagels is the place to get breakfast food when you’re on the run, and if not that, it’s BoJangles. I’ll miss running late for school and thinking, "hey I’m already late, might as well go to BoJangles." Hendersonville has some great food, and I’ll definitely miss all the small restaurants on Main Street.

Main Street is best known for the Apple Festival, which I will definitely miss. It’s the most exciting thing that happens in Hendersonville and it comes around every September. Grabbing a caramel apple and walking around and seeing everyone you know is the beauty of Apple Festival. Coming in a close second to the Apple Festival is the Garden Jubilee Festival, but you only go to that if your momma drags you.

I’ll miss running to Ingles to pick something up and seeing at least five people I know. At least a fourth of the people I know around my age have worked at Ingles at some point. Speaking of Ingles, if you’re from here, you know every night begins with the “meet me at Ingles” text. And if you’re not meeting at Ingles, you’re meeting at the Food Lion in Mills River. I’ll miss every bonfire and party with the same people every weekend, even though we always complain that there's nothing to do in this town.

I’ll miss being late to events because I got stuck behind a tractor on the way. Or maybe because there were chickens or cows in the road, even though this doesn't happen that often. This is usually the reason anyone is a few minutes late to school. I’ll miss the school rivalry between sports teams. No matter what school you go to, West, East, North or Hendersonville, you know your rival school and make sure to attend that game on Friday night. Friday night lights will always hold a special place in my heart and I know they do for many, whether you were on or off the field.

Most importantly, I’ll miss my family and friends. I’ve met the most incredible people in this town and I couldn't imagine my life without them. I’m grateful for everything this town has done for me and the person it has turned me into. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ready to leave. See ya later Hendersonville, thanks for the memories, ya did alright.