My hometown Stowe is a very small ski town in northern Vermont. I’m talking little, with a population of just over 4,100 my town is beautifully small. Growing up I deeply appreciated the sense of community the small town culture provided me. Even during high school when most kids are bored out of their minds by their hometown, my friends and I always found ways to have fun and to appreciate how much we got to do in such a seemingly small place. It is something very special to know most faces and have friends that feel like family. So I sat down this week to think about some reasons that makes this town very special to me

1. You know everyone - people trust each other

Trust is awesome, especially because everyone’s known each other since they were little pretty much. If you forget your wallet at the general store at the bottom of your street, they will let you take what you were buying with trust that you will come back with money a little later in the day.

2. Everyone knows everyone’s dogs name

People bring their dogs everywhere. Seriously, I know a majority of the families in this town dogs name. It’s a beautiful thing and I’ve always found it very amusing.

3. Everyone comes to support the high school sports teams - even when their children are no longer in the school system

In high school, I was always amazed to see how many people would show up to the sporting events. Our town loves hockey, soccer, basketball, field hockey and lacrosse. Parents of kids who had graduated years ago still come out to support the players and watch the games. Even more so when it comes to championships. One year, we had finals for soccer 2.5 hours away, and our town provided school buses to transport students and families down to the game. For free. Really helps you play your best with so many familiar faces in the crowd cheering your team on. (We won by the way, it rocked)

4. Everyone loves being outside and being active

People of all ages share the love of being outside. While that doesn’t make our town unique, the active culture of this town is very enjoyable. I very much appreciate running into people out in the woods, mountain biking or cross country skiing. Parents set great examples for their children by never ceasing to adventure and sweat year round.

5. The kids you went to kindergarten are most likely still your friends

With 50 kids in a graduating class, the kids we walked the stage with to get our diplomas were there from the beginning when we first learned to read. It is really meaningful to have a handful of friends that you’ve known your entire life already by the age of 23. I love knowing the people I grew up with like the back of my hand. They’re always down to play outside still like when we were younger. I love that my friends still enjoy camping, sledding, get in the mountains just like we did when we were growing up. I know my hometown friends are true friends, ones I will hopefully have my entire life. I value them like family.

6. The town rallies behind each other during times of hardship

When tragedy strikes our little town, I’ve always been overwhelmed with pride and love for how we rise up to help in any way we can. Having people you’ve known for 20 years there by your side to distract you, love you, listen to you and support you is pretty much the only thing I would want during very dark times. People who you’ve shared the highest highs with know how to help you during the lowest lows. And if they can’t help fix things, they will sure as hell won’t leave you to get through it on your own. People truly care for each other in this town, and I couldn’t be more proud of how much it shows.

7. The dinner parties are incredibly fun

I love me a good dinner party, and people in Stowe throw great ones. Doesn’t even have to be a big holiday, when a dinner party is happening, it is HAPPENIN. Friends here are always down to share delicious food and laughter with each other. When the town doesn’t have a crazy night life going on, more intimate gatherings provide plenty of fun. My parents and their friends have “extreme cocktailing” where they have big parties outside that you hike out to, whether it be in fields or by rivers. I love spending those good times with parents, children, friends and family. It’s a truly genuine and cheerful atmosphere.

8. People grow and share their harvest

Vermont is a very special place, I love that people care about the land, their food and put in the effort to supporting local farmers and businesses. I especially love that so many people grow their own veggies and are more than happy to give some to their friends. This summer I ate my weight in homegrown fruits and vegetables on the regular. It is almost alarming how different homegrown tomatoes taste from the ones you find in a grocery store. I appreciate that my friends bring over fresh string beans when we’re cooking dinner and a bucket of blueberries to make a mouth watering dessert. Man, food makes life so good.

9. Friends of all ages

I love the small town aspect because it allows you to have friends of all ages. I can honestly say that my parents friends have now become my friends. They treat me as an equal and it feels good. I am also friends with my brothers friends even though we are all different ages. When one of your friends is busy, it’s awesome to just go hike with their sibling instead. My friend always jokes that when I can’t hang out, she will just contact one of my siblings to hang because it’s pretty much the same thing.

10. You will have friends all over the country

I recently drove all over the west seeing states, national parks and cities I’d never been to before. On my journey, kids I grew up with in Stowe who moved away would open their home to me when I was rolling through their town. It was a sense of hospitality I truly cherished and appreciated. It made my experience visiting new places all the more special and comfortable.

There are plenty of more reasons why I love my hometown and find it to be a very special place. You know what they say, it takes a village and I don’t think that could be more true. Stowe, Vermont provided me with a beautiful childhood, adolescent and early adult life. It gave me many reasons to be grateful, safe and happy. The town is gorgeous, the people are genuinely kind and there is so much to do year round. I will always be happy to come home to visit and see the people and place that shaped the person I am today.