Growing Up In A Small Town

Since the age of 4, I have grown up in the stereo-typical small town of roughly 500. The town itself is about 1 square mile. There is a main mountain called the "M Mountain" which has a large, white M on it. If you climb up to the M, you can look out and see the entire town. All the towns in the county put together have a population that adds up to about 10,000 people.

View from the M Mountain

Going to school in a small town is a completely different experience than attending a school in a large city. In every class, you have one on one with your teachers, which helps students to be able to learn the material better and get a more rounded education. Students that attend school in a small town are able to make stronger friendships and get to know their fellow classmates better due to the small amount of them. I have witnessed high school friendships between small town people last for a life time.

Growing up with only about 10,000 people around you, if they're all home at the same time, can lead to utter boredom. Not quite the boredom that leads to terrible decisions, but the kind of boredom that will lead you to taking night drives with friends just to have something to do. It's the kind of boredom that leads you to drive all the way to the closest big city to have a "girl's night." It's the kind of boredom that leads to an all-day river day, full of laughter, with family and family friends. It's the kind of boredom that leads you to lay in the bed of your truck, wrapped in many layers of blankets, watching the night's sky with the love of your life.

Growing up in a small town means having the same amount of people in your grade for years and years. It means knowing your neighbors inside and out and loving them like family. It means going to your local grocery store and running into old family friends, teachers, and classmates. It means causing your kindergarten teacher to be overwhelmed with emotions at seeing you as a young adult. It means all the little things in life become the most important; never forgetting to cherish them every possible chance you have.

It means driving around your small town at 7 a.m. on the day of graduation with your fellow classmates, honking on all the streets to let everyone know "today is the day!" It means laughing happily as you see all the smiles from everyone on the streets and on their front porches. It means holding onto the small moments that you will never get back.
Line of all the seniors' cars driving around town honking.

It means crying your eyes out when you're handed your high school diploma because all your high school memories flood your brain and your emotions get the best of you. Crying because you had the love and support from all your teachers all of your high school years, but you never quite noticed until that very moment. Crying because your small town has given you life lessons to help you in the big, real world and you're eternally grateful.
Crying while receiving my diploma.

It means that no matter how far away you go, once you come back it feels like you never left

Comments

  1. So true love the blog it is a special place in this big world, Thank you for reminding me.

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm just trying to let people in on all my amazing experiences! :)

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