I’m from a small town.

And that is OK with me.

I come from a small, small town. It’s the kind that is so small people think you’re joking and Google it mid-conversation. The kind of small town where there is not a streetlight and the newly added donut shop is the biggest hit since Get-N-Go got Blue Bell. That small town where the second Jonny makes a C in his English class his neighbor already knows and heard it was because Sarah, who sits to his left, was distracting him. (But we all know a C is OK, because he can play in Friday night’s game). A small town where everyone, whether you agree or not, is dragging all members of the family through one of the six churches in the town which is populated under a thousand.

And then I left. I took my southern accent, loaded up a U-Haul and geared my life six hours north towards the DFW area. It was a culture shock, some good and some bad. But it made me realize how much a appreciated how I was raised and where my roots come from. So without further ado, here are the top five things that a small town taught me.

1. There is nothing more important than a family.

In a small town the word “family” is not a word that means the people that share your last name. It is the whole community and trust me, they take it to heart. There is nothing more defining than where you are from when you introduce yourself to someone in the same area. We stand up for everyone and there’s no way in heck you can be caught fiddling around with the Cougars on the other side of the railroad tracks. But besides the silly rivalries, it taught me that you stand up for your own, through thick and think.

2. Sports can teach you more than just how to dribble.

In a town the size of a pebble, you have little options on what to do for extracurricular activities. So, if you’re from my town, you momma put you in every damn sport she could at 4-years-old in the hopes that in high school you will make her proud. So when high school does roll around you are caught playing volleyball and cheering. The second you drop out of playoffs, you’re in basketball and as soon as that is over grab a bat. It’s time for softball. Oh did you still have a chance to sit down? Don’t have any fear; track is during the school period, so you have time. But amongst all of that chaos you tend to pick up some highly respectable traits. Things like teamwork and leadership have been embedded in your brain since you were 4 and come easy. You have a work ethic and strive for a goal. All of those things you use everyday, and we never thought twice about it.

3. Having fun does not have to be expensive.

From the classic toddler entertainment to more sophisticated fun, like muddin’ in the hunting club, there was always something to do that did not cost me an arm and a leg. For some reason, the closer you get to a city, the more money your friends want to spend. Sometimes nature is the least expensive learning tool your parents could have given you. Sticks turn into swords, Dad on the lawnmower is the villain, and if it wasn’t for those walkie-talkies you found in Momma’s camper, we would for sure be dead. Just riding the dirt roads for a good conversation was the best therapy my Dad ever showed me.

4. Manners are important. (And apparently hard to come by).

Yes ma’am, no ma’am, please and thank you were not options in my hometown. You held the door open and if someone was talking you listened. If someone passes away you make a dish and when someone says something rude you go all Disney Thumper on him or her and not “say anything at all.” We were disciplined for being in the wrong and learned how to act properly. I am not sure where it all disappeared to, but a big shout out to my small town for making boys into southern gentlemen and girls into classy ladies.

5. Safe and boring are better than crazy and violent.

My school’s biggest issue was dress code, gum and Snapchat in class. Back in the day, that was the worst thing in the history. Some of my friends tell horror stories of drugs and fights at their high school. I honestly think the closest to a fight we had was when a kid accidently punched another kid in the face. (It got political real fast with debates over if it was on purpose or not escalated). So thank you to my precious little 1A where being boring and safe is a little better than fearing for my life.

So, whether you are waiting for the next town festival, or if you’re from a town where homecoming is bigger than life, know it is not a bad thing. In fact, it can teach you a lot if you give yourself the opportunity to sit back an analyze it. Leaving let me see the benefit and perks of southern towns that hardly make it on a map. But I would not change it for anything. You can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl.