If you came upon this article, you probably lived/live there or have never heard of Aransas Pass. The small town located by the Redfish Bay is known as a destination for fishing, its annual shrimporee festival, boating, kayaking, and delicious fresh seafood.

If you and your family ever took a vacation to Port Aransas it’s likely, before you got on the ferry, you passed through Aransas Pass.

I lived in the small (boring) town for 18 years. I went from pre-K to finishing high school in Aransas Pass. My graduating class was under 100 students. Even though there was not much to do there, I still miss it.

After leaving Aransas Pass to go to college, which is seven hours away, I realized that being raised in a small town wasn’t too bad. There definitely are some pros and cons but here are a few things I miss about Aransas Pass.

1. I miss being able to relax on the beach. Back in Aransas Pass I lived about 15 minutes from the beach. Meanwhile, when I’m in my college town, Abilene, there’s no body of water like there is back home. You can find lakes, ponds or rivers in Abilene. However, I can’t just drive a few minutes to the beach like I could back home.
2. I miss the cool weather. During the winter, the wind and cold weather in Abilene is worse than it is in South Texas. Going back to Aransas Pass during my winter break is nice because there is warm weather and bright skies (but I don’t miss the humidity).
3. I miss not dealing with traffic. You can get across town in less than 10 minutes. You heard that right, that is how small Aransas Pass is. If you live across town it will only take you a few minutes to drive to the other end of town. Which is amazing considering in big towns it can take more than an hour to get to another side of town. Aransas Pass doesn’t have traffic.
4. I miss the calm and quiet. This place is definitely not a big city, so it’s rare to get annoyed by noises. I lived out in the country, we have acres of land so we make noise without anyone complaining and we never had to complain about noisy people.
5. I miss the close knit relationships. You know everyone’s parent, sister, brother and grandma. Since it’s a small town, people recognize each other quickly. If you grew up there, eventually you know everyone and everything that is going on.
6. I miss being able to throw on tiny shorts without anyone judging me. My fashion style is known as “beachy chic” because since I live close to the beach and everyday’s weather is warm and humid, all I want to wear is shorts, a flowy top and flip flops.
7. I miss the food. One of the many things I love about living close to the bay is the seafood and the old diners downtown.

Last thing I miss about Aransas Pass is my family and friends. I grew up in the small town and I made long-lasting friends since my young years. Every time I make a visit back to Aransas Pass, the feeling is indescribable when I open the door to my home and see the faces of my loved ones. My hometown is a place where my heart will always be even after I've left.