I’ve said before that my hometown is so small it’s more like a village than an actual town. Higdon, Alabama isn’t even located on the map. Seriously. I now live in the “city” which is about an hour from there. Although I’m no longer living in my small town, I still get nostalgic for some of the things that made my childhood so great.

1. I Made Life-Long Friends From The Start.

I went to a school that housed Kindergarten – Twelfth grade and I graduated high school with the same classroom full of kids that we went to second grade with and before. To this day, nine years after graduation I am still best friends, with my best friend from elementary school. I love keeping in touch with my high school friends and seeing how their lives have turned out. Growing up together, kinda- sorta bonded us all and I’m so glad that I still have these friendships.

2. I Could Play Outside All Day And Nobody Worried.

After school I had to get off the bus at my grandmother’s house and stay with her in the summer time. I would come in after school and eat snacks and do homework and then it was outside to play till I saw the headlights of my daddy’s truck coming up her long dirt driveway. Hours and hours spent on my own playing house, riding bikes, bad mitten and so on with my cousins. Hardly ever did Maw-Maw check on us, because she knew that we were okay. I loved playing without having to worry either. Most of my childhood memories come from those backyard days. In Small Town USA.”

3. I Learned to Drive at an Early Age.

There isn’t a parent, mama or daddy on Sand Mountain that didn’t let their children drive a vehicle, tractor, lawn mower, boat, golf cart, etc. before the age of sixteen. I remember my mom letting me drive her four-door Blazer, on a rutted back road in the “Holler” at the age of twelve. And on those messed up, pot-holed infested crappy Alabama roads is where I learned.

4. I Could Ride My Bike on the Road.

Before I learned to drive and got my own car, my bike was the single mode of transportation and I loved it. I would be right in the middle of the road and not have a care in the world about it, someone would see me and slow down. Give me a little honk of the horn, letting me know to move to the side, and be on their way.

5. Paved Road, Dirt Road, Back Road, It’s All the Same.

Doesn’t matter what type of road it is, it's located in my tiny hometown and it all gets you where you need to go. Some of the back roads them city folks would deem unfit to drive on and have the county pave it over. Nope, not on Sand Mountain. The rougher the road, the more fun it is to drive on. And they all pretty much lead back to Highway 71.

6. Four Wheeling and Bonfires Is Considered A “Night Out.”

“Date Night” was a bonfire and a four-wheeler ride. All a boy has to do to make a girl swoon is take her for a night ride, down the side of the mountain. Country boys just get it.

7. The Only “Traffic Jam” is a “Tractor Jam”

There’s rarely any traffic. And if there is, it’s because there’s a big ole John Deere cruising down the highway.

8.Going To "Town," Was a Real Treat.

Going to “town” was going to Chattanooga which is about 50-60 miles from my hometown. This was the closest “city” and we would make a trip to go school shopping, see a movie, have a nice dinner. It was always took most of the day and was so fun!

9.Local Grocery Stores Had the Best Food.

In my small town there is a grocery store that’s been open for years and has been ran by the same family. Dobbins Supermarket. I love this place! They have the best locally grown produce and their own specialty reciepe for the best sausage I've ever eaten. Every time I make the trip home I have to stop and stock up!

10. Football is a Serious Thing.

High School, College, or NFL football is always going to be a serious matter. Going to Friday night football games at the school, watching your favorite college team play on Saturdays (Roll Tide). We all love us some football. It’s a Southern Thang.

11. Family is Everything

One of the amazing things about growing up in a small town for me, was my family. We were all there in one place and spent a lot of time together. My cousins were the first friends I ever made, and to this day we remain close.

Growing up in such a small town, in a lot of ways was a real blessing. Of course, there were times that I hated it, but all in all I think being raised where I was shaped me for the better. Even though I’ve moved away and live in “town” now, I still have those days where I miss the mountain and want to take a quick trip home. And no matter where I am or where I go, it will always be there. My home’s in Alabama.