I had a unique experience growing up. I grew up around people that hardly ever locked their doors, felt safe walking the streets at night, and who knew everything about everyone. When I hear about the childhood that people have from bigger towns it reminds of how thankful I am to have this place. This tiny town of 2,500 is home and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

1. Having to explain where it's at every time you said where you were from.

"Yeah, it's 25 miles west of Springfield. It's by billings. No? It's also by Aurora. Yep, that town with only one light."

2. White Squirrels

They are real. In fact, there's a stuffed one at Hillbillies.

3. Basketball districts are basically a holiday.

So is football, but basketball was still better.

4. You hated Crane.

Always have, always will.

5. You had more respect for Coach Young than anyone else.

Yes, more than even your parents.

6. Hillbillies.

It's a delicacy

7. Home meant seeing HOWDY as you rolled into town.

8. On any given Saturday you'd find everyone parked at Hillbillies.

9. Fun was driving around or spray painting Troll Bridge

10. And when you got bored of that you'd play hostage.

How we didn't get pulled over I'll never know.

11. Win or lose you'd find everyone at DQ after a game.

12. You graduated with the same 50 kids you went to kindergarten with.

13. There was a Running of the Squirrels 5K.

14. Everyone knew you did something wrong before you even did it.

15. Applefest

It was always better when you got that Friday off school too.

16. The high school was in the middle of a corn field

It was even funnier watching the boys try to find their missing footballs in it.

17. Everyone knew your vehicle

18. You loved hearing people's reaction to driving through the cemetery to get through town.

19. Bamboo House.

Mr. Kim and Mrs. Jolly are the two greatest things to happen to this town.

20. Christmas meant going to Bob Duda's house to look at lights.

21. Everyone was basically family, literally and figuratively.

22. You got away with a lot of things you wouldn't get away with anywhere else.

Ditching class to go hang out with Mrs. Mantonya or Boaz in the library was NBD.

23. You refer to the town as the 'Ville.

24. You always knew that you'd be welcomed back with open arms no matter where life took you.