In a holler down the road somewhere is where our traditions have embedded in these mountains. Some people call it hell, I call it home. In today’s society, we are often looked down upon. You have northerners shouting we are uneducated hillbillies, you have people out west making fun of our accent. In reality though, we each love our heritage and it has made us who we are today. Many of us have had to move from the area because of the slim opportunities the region has to offer, but every chance we get, we’re going east bound and down on the mountain parkway, to go home. No matter if you are from Lawrence County to Harlan County, we can all agree that Eastern Kentucky is our home.

We love the way the mountains look in the morning, smell during the summer and rest beautifully during the fall. There is nothing like a winter snow that can keep the school kids out for a few weeks and milk aisle running dry. Surprisingly, coming from Eastern Kentucky has its perks. Believe it or not, majority of us have every tooth in our head and are dang good people. Any news organization can come from hundreds of miles away, however their glimpse into our daily lives will never be a comparison to what we really stand for. At times, I agree some things are hard to swallow.

We come from an area where we have seen many of our loved ones fall to drug abuse, a declining coal industry that has left our neighbors in utter shock, and political corruption that looks like it’s going nowhere any time soon. Despite the negative light my home has been casted in, I still choose to cherish it. This place has created the best of times and even the worst. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Small towns that watch their youth play sports, folks coming together to support one another during times of disaster, people absolutely loving each other in the most selfless way. Out-of-towners can preach they have these qualities too, but there is no place like home, my home. You can walk out the front door and head to the grocery and know at least four other people shopping. Some can argue this would be annoying, but that in fact is the beauty of it. Coming from one of many small towns in Eastern Kentucky, I can contest the most beautiful thing about this region is the people that choose to inhabit it. We are southern to the core, love Kentucky basketball, and can hear country music from a mile away. We help people, because we want to, and love our family and friends like crazy. Everyone knows everybody, or at least they've heard of you. If not, don’t worry we will proudly introduce ourselves and what neighborhood we’re from. My sister always told me “If you don’t know how to do something, someone always will.” Coming from Eastern Kentucky means neighbors help neighbors, or strangers rather. These mountains sure have molded some fine young men and women, and even better Kentuckians. I am proud of where I come from, these mountains will always be home.