All I wanted to do was get out of there because I thought there was so much more in the world than what was holding me back in this small town. Then I moved away from Scarborough.

Moving away from Scarborough has made me appreciate where I’ve grown up and reminded me how much I love coming home.

When you tell someone you’re from Scarborough, Maine, you get the automatic response that goes along the lines of: beaches, the marsh, Lenny the Chocolate Moose, and the most common response was: “You guys win everything.”

You were either on the field or in the stands for every home game leading up to the State Championship and then traveled sometimes hours for the playoff games. You didn’t realize it then but the energy coming from the stands is something you’ll never get back. The chants, the cheers, and the songs we all sung together hold so many laughs and memories.

The morning of a big snowstorm we would all wait for a school cancelation, but when everyone else had off, we were headed to school then had to tread home in three feet of snow. We definitely knew how to survive a Maine winter.

Luckily, when we get to come back to visit it’s the best time of year in Scarborough; Summer. You always have your go to beach, whether it’s Higgins, Ferry, Scarborough, or Pine Point. There is just a certain indescribable feeling of being at your favorite home beach breathing in the fresh ocean air.

If you’re from Scarborough you have your go to seafood restaurant: Kens, Clambake, Salty Bay, or Bayley’s. We could eat seafood every day if we had to and sometimes we do. (At least in the Summer.)

You most definitely can’t go a summer without getting an ice cream from Dairy Corner.

You’ve biked all over Scarborough and through the eastern trail. Maybe even jumped off the bridge into the marsh. The marsh: a smell only a true Scarborough resident could only get use to.

Being stuck in a long line of traffic is normal for Scarborough. You’re either at the Oak Hill intersection during 5 p.m. traffic or the Blue Point intersection while getting to the beach, but you’ll sometimes see the Route 1 boxer somewhere along your ride through Scarborough.

You didn’t realize how much you would miss driving around town at night with your friends after you got your license. Just listening to your favorite songs and checking to see if anyone was at the lot, even after you’ve graduated.

We all get together for a goodbye to Summer, Summerfest, starring the best fireworks in town. It’s a time to see everyone before school starts again and enjoy one of the last summer nights.

Scarborough is great because there aren’t huge buildings packed together. It’s just a simple small town. Everyone has a front yard where memories were made from the kids you took the bus to school with.

When I come home I feel the most comfortable because I know how to get from Blue Point, to Oak Hill, to Pleasant Hill, and everywhere in between. It’s funny to reminisce about all the good times I’ve had while growing up in Scarborough. Now here I am booking my next flight home.

Scarborough, I’ll always be proud to call you my home.