Dorothy had it right; apparently, there isn’t any place like home. No matter where we’re from, we argue that our town is better than everyone else’s. Even though it’s like comparing apples to oranges, our towns all have similar qualities that make them better than the rest.
1. Breakfast
No matter how many places you travel to, nowhere compares to your favorite breakfast joint. Whether it’s a classic bacon egg and cheese or some top-of-the-line French toast, we know where we’ll find you Saturday morning. There is no better hangover cure than a good hearty breakfast. Unfortunately, everyone else seems to know that, too, and you cannot walk into the place without seeing half of your town.
2. Sunsets
Argue as much as you want, we’re going to have to agree to disagree on the mountains versus beaches debate. In your opinion, there are no other sunsets as beautiful as those in your hometown. On a nice summer night, you camp out at your favorite spot and watch the colors illuminate the sky. And of course, you have to take a picture for Instagram.
3. Sports teams
Okay, so what if we haven’t won the Super Bowl in 25 years? No matter where you move in life, you will always have ties to your hometown’s team. You’ll make an effort to keep up with the stats even if you didn’t watch the game. And if you aren’t a sports fan, you automatically affiliate with the team closest to you -- unless you’re the obnoxious type who chooses to cheer for the rival just for the hell of it. (P.S. Don’t be that obnoxious type).
4. Childhood friends.
As you move through life, you make friends around each and every turn. But none of them can compare to the friends you’ve had since you were in kindergarten. It might be partially due to the fact that you’ve known each other for 20 years or it may be that they stuck by you when you got that awful haircut in fifth grade. #NoNewFriends
5. Your high school crush.
Admit it, we all had a secret crush on the star athlete or the school president in high school. So when we randomly run across them at the grocery store, we still get excited to get the chance to spark up a conversation again.
6. Iconic foods.
Whether it’s the Maryland crab or the Georgia peach, you know there’s that one thing that your state does better than anywhere else. When you’re out of town, you are that food’s biggest critic, because there is no way that it could possibly be better than your family’s homemade recipe.
7. Annual events.
Every town hosts festivals and parties for which they are known. They’re anticipated all year round, and we schedule our lives around the dates. For those of us who no longer live in our hometown, we die a little inside knowing that we cannot attend the Annual Mac n' Cheese Cook Off (real event, no lie).
8. Stories.
There’s a story at almost every location in your hometown. That’s where you had your first kiss, that’s where you got stranded at 3 a.m. -- the stories go on and on. And the levels of embarrassment seem to increase as well.
9. Comfortable feeling.
There’s some strange comforting feeling when you’re in your hometown. You get a sense of belonging and feel as if the other locals are “your kind of people.” Normally, they understand where you’re coming from because that’s where they came from, too.
10. It made you.
There’s no place like your hometown because it made you the way you are. Perfectly imperfect, it is the place where you have the most unforgettable memories. It adds to your character, and there will always be a special place in your heart for your hometown.
