Growing up in a small town and eventually going to a college in just as small of a town opened up my eyes to so much. I listened to a lot of my peers in high school talk about their dreams to move to different areas where the cities were larger and there were more people. I had this outlook on the world as well, and hoped to get into a college in a large city. But of course, plans don't always work out as well as we hope.

Moving to a college a few hours from home in a town that was just as small, if not smaller, than my hometown was a lot better than I had originally thought. Certainly, it is hard to find things to do with friends on the weekend when all you've got in your college town is a Sheetz that everyone and their neighbor goes to constantly. Yet, I learned to appreciate being in a small town for the fact that I've gotten so close with so many people in the community. The same can most likely be said for larger cities, but I've grown to love the idea of knowing everyone in the neighborhood, or around college. It makes things feel more connected and more homey in a sense.

I do plan to move to a larger city when I graduate college, but being in small communities for most of my life has helped me to better appreciate the bonds I've made with people. Those close-knit relationships are what I will carry with me as I move on to more things. Even in the large cities, I am certain people come together just as much as we do in our small cities. The connections we make in our communities help shape us to better appreciate the world around ourselves and what it holds.