Emporia, Kansas, home of the fighting hornets and proud founder of Veteran’s Day. Emporia is home to nearly 25,000 people and has stolen the hearts of thousands upon thousands of college students who made the right decision on attending Emporia State University. I’ve lived in this town for three years now, and honestly, after growing up in Manhattan, Kansas, I never thought I would be able to love the small-town lifestyle, but I was wrong. Although Emporia doesn’t have a Chick-fil-A or a mall worth going to, this little town has made its way into the deepest roots of my heart and I’m going to have a hard time letting go in just one short year when I graduate. Here’s why I am in love with Emporia, Kansas.

1. Emporia State University

I only moved to Emporia to go to college, so it’s obviously my favorite part about the town. On campus, everybody pretty much knows everybody. I can walk through campus and I’ll know 10 out of every 12 people I see, which is such a blessing in my book. I love knowing a lot of people, but still being able to see people that I’ve never seen before. I have received an excellent education here and I am fully satisfied with my choice of college.

2. The Community

No matter where you go in Emporia, you will always see a smiling face and someone with their stinger up. Since this town is small, it contains many locally owned businesses versus the big franchises; The tiny cafes are my favorite. The locals (I prefer to call them Emporians) love talking to us college students and asking us about where we came from. To me, there’s nothing more precious than someone wanting to get to know the real you.

The community comes together for all of the sporting events that are held here in Emporia. I think it’s great that the whole town manages to pile into Welch Stadium for track meets and football games and nobody misses a chance to sit hip-to-hip in William Allen White Auditorium for the basketball games.

Also, when times are hard, it doesn't matter what situation took place, you will always find the Emporia community lifting others back onto their feet. For example, a few months ago when the town was shocked in utter disbelief when a precious student lost her life, there wasn’t a soul in Emporia who didn’t lend a helping hand. Whether it was a supportive tweet, flowers, or a sympathy card, everyone played a role in healing the hearts of our wounded hornets. The hornet pride that this town possesses is incredible and is admired by all.

3. The Location

Emporia is no more than an hour away from all of the bigger cities you’d ever want to go to. Do you want Chipotle? Topeka is 50 minutes up the Turnpike. Wanna go to the Hawk? Lawrence is an hour away. Wanna party in Aggieville? Manhattan is just a short drive on the backroads. Wanna go shopping at Legends? Good thing Kansas City is an hour away. Do you need anything from Wichita? Once again, only an hour away.

4. The Media

Since Emporia is tiny, there isn’t much that goes on around here, but the media, The Emporia Gazette, always finds something to report. For example, last week an article titled, “Rooster At Large,” hit the news when scanner traffic indicated a report of a rooster attacking people in a parking lot. The Gazette warned that, “Citizens should be on the alert.” But don’t worry, my fellow Emporians, another article was post just hours later titled, “Hen Relocated,” informing us that the rooster that was attacking people was actually a hen and that it was captured and relocated. Oh, golly, I sure was worried, so I’m glad the authorities handled the situation in a timely manner!

5. The Friendships

The people that I’ve met here in Emporia are completely irreplaceable. ESU is where I found the solid friend-group I’ve craved my whole life. ESU is where I found most of my bridesmaids. ESU is where I found the one person whose house I can barge into while crying at four in the morning; this place gave me the best friend I’ve ever had.

6. Campus Woods

Out of all the places you can go to in Emporia, Campus Woods will always be my favorite. I love nature and exploring; Adventures are my favorite. Walking the trails feeds my soul with positive vibes and I love spending my days venturing through them with my best friend while chatting about life. All of the different pathways that lead to nowhere, yet somewhere at the same time, thrill me. I love seeing where the paths take me. Hearing the animals and the water flowing through the creeks soothes my mood and I truly hope everyone in Emporia takes the time to give Campus Woods a chance because I know nobody could ever regret it.

7. Being Underestimated

Being a DII University, we are often overlooked by a vast majority of people. Just because we aren’t DI doesn’t mean we don’t have something significant to offer. Emporia State is the home of the National Teacher’s Hall of Fame, one of the top nursing schools in the nation, and is the only university in Kansas to have glass studios. ESU is the home of many All-American athletes, National Championships, and professional athletes. More often than not, people hear, “Emporia, Kansas,” and tend to respond with, “I’ve never heard of it.” But that’s okay, being the underdog is fun. Don’t sleep on DII schools.

8. The Squirrels

Every single day, you can walk anywhere in Emporia and find a squirrel walking alongside you. If you go anywhere else, 9 times out of 10, they’ll run away from you, but not here! The squirrels happily walk right up to you and my only wish is that they could talk because how cool would that be?

9. The Night Life

I know what you’re thinking, “Small towns aren’t fun; there’s nothing to do there.” Honestly, there are multiple bars and fun places you can go to, and if you know the right people, anything you do will be a good time. Life is what you make of it, and if you choose to have a good time, you will.

10. The Feeling of Home

You know that feeling you get when your heart flutters and you feel a sense of peace? I received that feeling when I stepped foot onto campus for the first time, and in that moment, I knew ESU was the place for me. ESU is my home away from home and I have a hard time leaving even for a few hours. I want to spend every minute of every day here in Emporia, because someday soon, all of my friends are going to go their separate ways. I want to embrace everyone living in the same town while I can. Even though it’s temporary, Emporia is my home and I have a lot of pride in this little town.