Growing up in a small town has its stereotypes, and I'm here to tell you that most of them are true. Although I went away to college and my journalism career will most likely bring me to a more metropolitan area, I was still the girl who dated the quarterback and cheered on the sidelines every Friday night, so I have learned a thing or two about the best and worst things about that upbringing. Even though there certainly are downsides to growing up this way, I am thankful for all of it. I think everyone who grew up in Small Town, USA can agree.

I have known the same people my entire life. Being in a graduating class of less than 100, that is unavoidable. Even if someone transferred in, their week-long era of fame for being the new kid who everyone wanted to meet made them a regular. The hype of someone new finally entering our halls was insurmountable, but disappeared after they went steady with the most popular kid in our fifth grade class for about four days. Other than that rare occurrence, I knew everyone at my school a little too well. With this came the cliques and clubs that every John Hughes' movie warned you about. I played soccer my entire life and then randomly decided to also cheerlead, so I was one of those unheard of cases where someone could actually binary between two cliques, but I'll have you know that this wasn't the norm.

Everyone knows about the pitfalls of cliques, special thanks to the movie "Mean Girls," but no one talks about the great things that can come out of them. Sure, there were times when I felt like I was changing myself to fit in, and there were times when I had to get along with people that I couldn't stand (and vice-versa), but I can say that it taught me so much. Once I left my small town, I had had my fill of trying to fit in. I was so motivated to be myself and choose the kind of people that I surrounded myself with for myself that I ended up with a handful of amazing friends and way more self confidence. On the other hand, just as there always will be, I am still forced to deal with people who I don't necessarily love. However, being clustered in with the same people for so long built me up some pretty tough skin.

One of the worst parts of my upbringing was the extreme drama that can be stuffed into a tiny town, and for that I am also thankful. Sure, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name *cue the Cheers music*, but that isn't so enticing of an idea when everyone also knows your every move, bad hair day and giant mistake. The gossip mongers of a small town, AKA your friends' moms, have a pretty real grasp on how to make you hate yourself or your life. At the same time though, that experience teaches you a bitter, yet important lesson. Your mistakes are significant, and you can't just pretend that they didn't happen. I hated that the whole town was talking about me whenever I messed up, but in hindsight, it's better than sweeping my problems under the rug and never learning from them. And along with this, I learned how to move past my mistakes. Yes, the people who knew me in high school may never be able to let go of them, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't.

Finally, there is the greatest thing that my town ever gave me: something to come home to. I may dream of ending up in a city and leaving it all behind, but my town will always be my home. I have met some of the greatest people I have ever known in that town, I've had some of my best memories within its limits, and it is the core of who I am. No amount of fights with my friends, rumors being spread about me, or boring Friday nights could ever take away from how great my town is. I still get that warm feeling when I see the old buildings in the center of town or the place where I used to do gymnastics when I was just a tot. Honestly, I don't think I will ever lose the feeling I get when I drive down the streets of my town.

So, if you grew up in a small town like me, it's OK if you hated it. I promise you, though, that some day you will be thankful for it. One day you will remember those summer days when you were young and forget the most embarrassing moment of high school. That's the wonderful thing about time, it seems to magnify the good and block out the bad. So, focus on the things you love most about your town and all of the wonderful things it has given you. It's a blessing and a curse growing up in such close quarters, but mostly, it's just a blessing. Remember that, and don't be a stranger.