Thank you to my home, to the Eastern Shore. When I was in high school I couldn’t wait to leave you. Go as far away as possible and not look back. I could not wait to distance myself from your small towns of small minded people that knew everything about everyone. When you did something at 9 AM the whole county knew about it by 9:05 AM and didn’t stop talking about it for weeks. They proved the saying “everybody dies famous in a small town” to be true. I thought I was too good for you and that you had absolutely nothing to offer me. Now, after being away from home for two years I have learned that I was wrong. Yes, I still think there are many more opportunities for me outside of the little world of the Eastern Shore but you have offered me more than I could have ever imagined.

For starters, I’ve never appreciated a life surrounded by water more until I came to college. Not having some sort of river or bridge to cross within five minutes kills me inside. Thank you to the eastern shore for an abundance of fresh seafood, especially crabs. Trying to explain to people that many folks back home are watermen is like trying to teach a foreign language. Also, thank you for the extremely flat land. I soon learned that hills and I do not mix, I will take sea level over elevation any day. My legs also thank you because these hills do not make for an easy run. I loved the fact I could easily get to a grocery store or a McDonald's in five minutes when I got to college. I mean, it is great being able to order pizza for delivery but I do miss having a minimum 20-minute drive to get to a store. Being in the middle of nowhere is fantastic. I don’t have to worry about loud neighbors at 4 in the morning. So what if my town doesn’t even have its own zip code? And even though these small towns can be a nuisance when you want your business to be kept secret, I can guarantee you will have an army of small town support if you or your family needs it. Everyone is always willing to extend a helping hand and a healing prayer in a time of need. Thank you, Eastern Shore, for everything: Thrasher’s French fries, chicken houses everywhere, Sundays spent on the boat, Old Bay, Dumser’s ice cream, scrapple sandwiches, and the many other little things I love about the shore.

But mostly, thanks for being my home no matter where I go in life. You’re a beautiful place to come back to every now and then. Thanks for being the place my family planted their roots and grew so many great memories. Thank you for harvesting our little family farm that I love so dearly. Thank you for friends you blessed me with. Thank you for the hunting and fishing trips with my brothers out on the Nanticoke. Thank you for being the place I grew into the person that I am today. I wouldn’t be who I am without you. I don’t know where my life may take me, but I know for sure my heart will always be at home on the Eastern Shore.