For a lot of my life, like many other kids, I didn’t appreciate the town I grew up in. The small town with hills, trees, farms, three traffic lights (and one of them is just a blinking yellow), one central school, and a lot of other typical small town things. It’s the kind of town where you have to drive at least 20 minutes to get to an actual store and you’re better off saying it’s about an hour and a half south of a certain city. It’s a typical small town and I didn’t appreciate it.

That was until one day during my senior year when I was driving to school, I looked up at the hills as I was stopped at a stop sign and realized my days of seeing this view daily were dwindling. That my days of going to school with all my friends was coming to an end. That pretty soon I would no longer have the same teachers I’ve known for years. Those kinds of thoughts make you appreciate your small town real fast.

I’ll tell you now that there is stuff wrong with my town. I’m not going to sugar coat it all, but I will tell you that they are also some really good parts. These are the parts that make that small town the home that I love. These are the things that make Portville a great place to grow up.

Portville has an amazing community sense. If you ever need help, you will find a lot of people willing to help you. If someone gets a serious illness a benefit will be planned and hundreds of members of the community will turn out to help and show support.

Our small central school has some of the best teachers. We have teachers that care about their students and are willing to do anything to help them achieve their best. Teachers that stay and work long hours to make sure that all of their work is done, so they can be the best teachers that they can be.

Portville is one of the prettiest places you’ll find in the United States. We’re lucky enough to have all four seasons and to be nestled in the enchanted mountains. There’s a spot up in the hills where you can just look out over the beautiful countryside for miles. It’s absolutely breathtaking, especially in the autumn when all the leaves have turned from green into brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows.

I love my hometown a lot. I’m so happy whenever I get to come home and see all of the places and people that make it special again. It’s a typical small town and I didn’t If you ever get the chance, go visit my hometown. I promise the trip will be worth it.