Growing up in Port Huron, Michigan you always heard about people being excited to leave once they graduated. How excited people were to get out of this "small city" and start over in a brand new place. But now as an adult who spends most of the year living in an apartment near my college, I have realized just how lucky I was to have grown up in Port Huron.

I grew up in a place that was right on one of the Great Lakes and has its own bridge to Canada making our home one of the hot spots for Canadian visitors. And now as a college student who once couldn't wait to leave, I find myself getting excited to tell others why I love my hometown and what I think they should check out when visiting. So when you head to the place I call home, here are 7 things that I believe will make you fall in love too.

1. Lake Huron

Port Huron is literally right next to Lake Huron (hence the name) allowing so many of us to live right near the water. I grew up taking our boat out on the lake with my family, going to the beach with friends after school and nearly every day during the summer and being able to have the option of which beach we wanted to go to since there was always more than one.

2. The Boardwalk

Right by the Bluewater Bridge, we have the boardwalk that lines the canal between Michigan and Canada. Growing up people would "jump off the boardwalk" where they would jump over the railing and into the water. For some people, this was a form of a rush or just something fun to do. (I am not recommending this to anyone. The canal has a massive current and is not a very safe thing to do). And myself along with everyone else I knew had gone to the boardwalk to sort out some form of life crisis at some point or another. The boardwalk at any time of day is the perfect place to sort out whatever is going on in your life.

3. The Raven

This is my absolute favorite place to go when I head back home. The Raven is a local coffeehouse and cafe located in downtown Port Huron that's theme is based on Edgar Allen Poe's poem "The Raven". I started going to the Raven in high school with my mom and it quickly became my home away from home. The Raven has incredible coffee and food but also has such a unique atmosphere that I truly believe everyone should check out at some point in their life.

4. The Cross-Town Rivalry

In Port Huron, we have two high schools that create a huge rivalry in our hometown. I personally grew up in the north end so I went to Port Huron Northern, and across town, we have Port Huron High. Preparing for our school's rivalry games became an event throughout the entire town and still brings alumni coming back every year.

5. Thomas Edison

Fun fact, Port Huron was the childhood home of Thomas Edison. With this being said, when you travel around Port Huron you will find several establishments and landmarks named after him in his honor. We even had our elementary and middle schools take us on field trips to the Thomas Edison Depot where kids were able to learn even more about the man who lived in our town before accomplishing great things.

6. The Bluewater Bridge

As I've already mentioned, Port Huron has it's own bridge to Canada that is named the Bluewater Bridge. This not only gives Michigander's a quicker way to Canada but also brings even more business to our town. Being so close to the border, Port Huron is always full of Canadians who have come over to visit family, to shop and even to work. Also along the bridge, we have several restaurants you can visit while also having a great view of the water.

7. Downtown

Downtown Port Huron is already full of places to check out, but with being so close to the Canadian border we are working on bringing more life to our Downtown area. From unique coffee shops and cafes like The Raven and the Exquisite Corpse to the McMorran Arena, there is always something Downtown to check out.

I honestly love visiting my hometown whenever I get the chance. Port Huron is where I grew up. Where I went to school, where I met some of my best friends, fell in love for the first time and even had my heart broken. No matter where I go in life Port Huron will always be the place I call home because it is the place where I started to find myself and gave me the courage to follow my own dreams. I hope when you visit Port Huron you will fall in love with it too.