When I entered college, I used to look back at high school with regret and a hint of disgust. Determined to completely forget who I was in the past, I tried to erase any memory of my small town high school out of my mind. Little did I realize, all of those past memories and lessons I had experienced had made me who I am today.

Had I not gone through the things that I did, the way I viewed my life and what I want to accomplish would be drastically different. After God working on my heart, I’ve started to appreciate where I’m from and what made me the girl that’s writing to you today.

I’ve never been a small-town fan. Everyone knows your business and everyone has an opinion. You can’t do anything without the whole town knowing in a matter of a couple hours. That bothered me because I felt like I was judged for everything I said and did.

Though I didn’t see it until recently, this has helped me come leaps and bounds on the subject of caring what people think. The truth is, people are always like this. It is just more obvious in small towns. Even in college, people will always have an opinion on what you’re doing. Thank you, small-town, for teaching me to be sure in my decisions and myself.

One of the biggest things I struggled with was the feeling of being trapped. My whole life I have had tons of ambition and planned to accomplish a huge future. My whole high school career, I was worried that being from a small-town would limit me. So, I couldn’t wait to pack up and get out.

Honestly, I couldn’t believe that I went to school in the state. Over the years, though, I’ve had an epiphany that my small-town has made me humbled me. Knowing where I come from has always brought me down a couple notches to make sure I don’t get too big for my britches. With the many people that have poured into me, and impacted me so positively, I cannot discredit that.

Thank you, small-town, for teaching me to be humble and thankful.

Lastly, I had so many regrets from my past seasons. I asked why didn’t I hang out with certain people more, why I wasted my time on things that didn’t matter, why I didn’t value my time I had there, why I acted the way I did in certain situations. Who knows and who cares.

Yes, I made a lot of mistakes, but so did everyone else. Here I am, three years later, and I’m still making mistakes and figuring it out. Who I was in the past, was a stepping stone to who I am now. Therefore, I have to value that.

Learning from these past experiences have made me learn from my mistakes and value growth. Thank you, small-town, for teaching me how to move forward and become a great version of myself.

Maybe some of you reading, have had to learn to appreciate your small-town like I had to. It drove me nuts at the time, but there are people and overall aspects that will always be a part of me. Though my plan is not to ever live in my small-town again, the experiences and memories strike a much different cord than they did this time three years ago.

The girl I am now is a drastically different person than she used to be, and I thank the events my small-town brought about, for this. Who knew that a country Kentucky County with one high school could impact my life so positively? As the great movie, Sweet Home Alabama says: “You can have roots and wings.” Cheesy, I know, but I’m glad I’ve finally realized this. Thank you, small-town, for changing my life and fueling my future.