I grew up in a town that you either loved or hated. It was the textbook definition of the term "small town". With roots as deep as the ground it was situated on, I was taught to bloom where you were planted. Generations upon generations stayed here. Leaving for good was a foreign concept to most of the people there. And growing up I wanted nothing more than to leave that little town. I was the odd one out.

After spending a lot of my childhood traveling I learned of the great places that the United States had to offer. It quickly dawned on me that it was okay to leave the tiny little town I called home for all of my life. I went to Tennessee at the age of 8 and since then I've wanted to be there. I was told it was just a phase. But now, at 19, it is still one of the most prominent thoughts in my mind. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about what my future life in Tennessee will be like. I had this realization that I could leave. And what a realization it was.

Don't get me wrong, I love how I grew up. The town was an "everybody knows everybody" town. I had great friends, supportive parents, and a support system I am ever so thankful for. I truly wouldn't be the person that I am today. But there comes a time in everyone's life where self-discovery is so critical. While I loved my little county, it was a place I would leave and not a place I could stay.

To the person that just wants to leave: do it. Do it for a short period of time. You will discover one of two things: 1.) You love the place you grew up and want to stay or 2.) You want to leave. This is a discovery you will thank yourself for later. For me, I discovered that I wanted to get away. For others, they might crave the place that raised them.

It is okay to miss your hometown after you leave but not want to move back there. I struggle with this daily. There are times where I am so thankful to be away. But there are also times where all I want to be is home. And that is okay. I am only one county away from where I was raised and I miss it sometimes. It is preparing me for when I move away for good. It is natural to miss and long for what you are familiar with yet also not want it back permanently.

It is okay to have roots and wings at the same time. It is okay to go away and not stay where you were raised. Just don't forget where you came from. Stay true to you.