As I sit in my bed at home, writing this, I'm thinking to myself that this small town means more to me than words could possibly explain. I love my family, my home, my friends, and the gossip is pretty entertaining too. And who doesn't love an amazing meal from your favorite local restaurant? This small town has impacted my largely, but there are so many reasons to why I shouldn't stay here or come back after graduation.
I don't care enough about who got arrested last week and what for. I don't care about living in the same neighborhood that I have known my whole life. I absolutely hate walking into Walmart and seeing everyone that I had classes with in high school and never spoke to them again. (I actually hate people in Walmart in general). I hate being reminded of all the bad memories from the incredibly unfortunate small town. I know what you're thinking...
"But the good memories outweigh the bad, right?" Nope.
"But what about all your friends?" If they're true friends, they'll stay in touch.
"Aren't you going to miss your family and dog?" I actually plan trips to come home because I miss my dog sometimes, but that's beside the point.
The point is that I want to write my own story. I don't want to be like everyone else that I graduated with that works at McDonalds or comes home every weekend. I want to create my own adventure and I want to stick to it.
I was the only person from my graduating class that decided on a college, 3 hours away. Why? I wanted to make new friends, I wanted to learn new territory and I wanted to be independent. Why would anyone not want a fresh start? I joined a sorority, which I never thought would happen in a million years, but I'm so glad I did.
You gain a sense of independence. No one can tell you when you have to be home. No one can tell you when you need to go to bed. No one can tell you to stop eating after your 5th slice of pizza. But you also have to learn to tell yourself when you need to do your homework. You have to find the motivation to go to class and to the gym, so that pizza doesn't catch up with you.
And while all of that is great and what-not, you learn to appreciate your hometown more at the same time. You appreciate the small amount of time you have with your family and friends, you appreciate everything this small town has taught you and you also appreciate the home cooked meals. (Chick-fil-a can only be eaten so many times in a week).
And while you may love your hometown, you should learn to love another town even more and begin the next chapter of your life.
