For as long as I can remember, I have lived in a small town. I started out living in the country and eventually moved into a tiny town with a population of only 1,300 people just before I began first grade. For those of you who enjoy your bright lights in the big city, this may sound like a nightmare; However, growing up in a small town isn’t all that bad. Sure, it has its downsides, just as growing up anywhere else does, but there are things about growing up in a small town that you just can’t quantify. As an adult, I have come to appreciate my small hometown more each year. Growing up in a small town meant being close to your neighbors, teachers knowing you before actually meeting you and always having a close-knit community to fall back on. There is nothing like coming back home to my small town, and while I can't exactly put into words what makes small towns so special, I can tell you some reasons why I will always be thankful for my small hometown.

1. You got to experience the city and the small town.

In a small town, you don’t exactly live near many attractions. When all your town has is a post office, a gas station, a mom-and-pop café and maybe even a convenience store, you had to venture off to a nearby city to see a movie or do some shopping. For a lot of us, these ventures occurred every weekend. We’re able to have some fun in the city and return to our quiet, peaceful, small town at the end of the day, giving us the best of both worlds.

2. You’ve been friends with your friends since you were young.

The people you took pictures with at graduation are the same people you have pictures with in preschool when you were 4 years old. You grew up alongside each other and sustained a friendship through many different stages of life together. Yes, even the awkward ones.

3. You have a huge support system.

In a community that’s so small, everyone knows everyone and they all come together to form one big support group. I’ve never seen a community so willing to help one another out. Whether it’s providing support when tragedy strikes or cheering you on when you’ve accomplished something, you’ve always got a family of 1,000 people behind you.

4. Dating was always easy.

When everyone knows everyone, it makes dating pretty simple. You never have to ask about someone’s history, because you already know it. You never have to go through the awkward “getting to know each other” stage either because you’ve known each other your whole lives.

5. You learn to work hard at a young age.

There aren’t exactly any glamorous job opportunities in a small town. You probably worked at a fast food restaurant, a farm or did outdoor work for your parents like mowing the lawn or weeding your mom’s gardens. Regardless of what your job was, it wasn’t your dream job and it made you appreciate your first job that paid more than minimum wage.

6. The only thing you can’t do is parallel park.

You’ve taken on the unplowed country roads after a snow storm to get to school, you’ve been on your fair share of crappy gravel roads and you’ve gone off-roading. You can pretty much handle any conditions mother nature has to throw at you, but you’ve never had to worry about parallel parking, so don’t try it unless you have to.

7. You can see the stars at night.

You’ve never had to worry about tall buildings or city lights blocking the view at night. You’ve always had a clear, open sky to lie under with an amazing view of the stars. When you leave, it’s one of the very first things you miss the most.

8. You can name everyone in your graduating class.

You’ve gone to school with the same people for 12 years. Your class only has around 100 people in it, and you know each and every one of them.

9. You never had to worry about being locked out of your house.

Your doors were never locked. If they were, there was always a key hidden under the doormat or in a flower pot.

10. Teachers always knew who you were.

Even before they had you in class, they knew who you were because they’ve taught all your siblings and your parents. While sometimes following in your siblings footsteps or bearing their last name in school could lead to traumatizing experiences, there is something nice about being able to ask your siblings for help on an assignment for a teacher they had two years ago.

11. High school football is the highlight of your week.

Football players run through the halls on Friday mornings at school to get everyone excited for the big game, the pep band and cheerleaders get the crowd pumped up in the stands on Friday night and the whole town is there to support the team. The Friday night lights are the only things that can top the view of the stars at night.

12. Driving a tractor to school was acceptable.

There was even a day each year devoted to doing so.

13. The importance of family is very clear to you.

Your parents were at all of your t-ball games when you were young, and they were at all of your sporting events when you got older. You were constantly connected to your family through almost everything you did. They were always your number one fans, and will continue to be as you move through life.

14. You will always have a place to call home.

After living in a small town for most of our lives, most of us usually get out at one point or another. We start our own lives somewhere else to experience more of the world that couldn’t be experienced from our small hometown. Some of us return and some of us don’t, but one thing that is certain is that you will always have a special place in your heart for the small town that you can forever call home.