I recently took a weekend trip with my boyfriend to visit my dad in my hometown of Port Lavaca, Texas. My hometown is on the Gulf Coast in the Coastal Bend region, situated on an estuary (where salt and fresh water mix) called the Lavaca Bay. It is located halfway between Houston and Corpus Christi. About 98% of people have no idea where my hometown is when I tell them, so I always have to tell the person where it is in relation to other major cities.

It's definitely a small town, where everyone somehow knows each other, and the mall that is closest by is about 30 to 45 minutes away. It is the type of small Texas town that is surrounded partially by corn, maize, and cotton fields, and of course, water. Some of us live the salt life, some live the country life, and some of us do both. I, however, have always loved the beach. I collected shells and put them in a pickle jar, which is still in my closet at my dad's. We may not have had the most pristine beaches or perfect blue water in our area, but it is beautiful in its own way. To me, beaches are universal...the sound of the waves, the feeling of sand, and the smell of salt are all comforting. I've been to many beaches, and they all remind me of home.

Growing up, I was always told that I lived in the "rich neighborhood," when in fact, it was a mix of middle to upper class blue and white collar workers. The majority of people who lived around me were high ranking workers at the plants, but there were several doctors, teachers, people who worked in a bank, and insurance agents. Anyway, my neighborhood was considered a "rich person's location" because it is right on the bay. It sits on a cliff, across the highway from our city beach. Basically, the beach was about a two to three mile walk from my house, since I lived towards the back of my neighborhood. Even though the heat is brutal at home during the summer, the smell of the salty breeze makes going outside worthwhile to me. I'll never forget when our neighborhood got its park, half playground and half workout equipment. I loved going into the slide tower to look at the bay. We used to see the bay without an obstructed view, but a wooden fence was put up to prevent kids from falling into the water.

Due to our location, we have some amazing Tex-Mex. No, not the heat and serve type, the authentic type. I don't trust any type of Mexican food that isn't from Texas, or any of the border states. It's kind of like how folks around here don't trust out of state gumbo. Living on the gulf coast, we also indulge in seafood. Port Lavaca is known for being a great spot to fish, and there are some top notch seafood restaurants in the area. Don't get me wrong, Louisiana has good seafood too. If the state is near a coast, the seafood is definitely delicious. You wouldn't eat seafood if you were visiting Boise, Idaho, would you?

My hometown may not appear like much to some, but it's home, even if it only takes 15 minutes to drive around town, followed by "that's it!" Growing up here is the reason why I pull off to the shoulder when I turn onto another street, it's a courtesy thing. It's also the reason why I'm not bad at fishing, and according to my papaw, that includes catching pelicans. It's the reason why I love collecting seashells, and even rocks from other places I've visited. It's the reason why I confused my classmates in high school (I attended high school in Louisiana) when asking if we could wear homecoming mums to school. It's the reason why my family and I looked insane while attending one of my high school football games, we were getting really into it. We love our Friday night football. Any time I can visit, it literally means the whole world to me. My great grandma used to say, "never forget your roots." I haven't, and don't plan on doing so. Port Lavaca isn't just my hometown, it's a major part of my life.