Growing up in Richmond, Missouri is something I will forever cherish. While Richmond isn't the smallest town out there, I had a graduating class of about 90, I knew everyone by name and most likely their family as well. All of the town came out to the high school fields every Friday night to cheer on the football players and the cheerleaders. All of your classmates formed a student section that could get out of control in any given moment, and If your team made it to state you were pretty famous with your face plastered around town. Honestly, if you weren't at the School's up and coming productions put on by the drama club, some type of sporting event, or the local Mexican restaurant where the hell were you?

Coming from a small town you experience that southern charm and kindness many people talk about. You hold doors for others, you say hello in passing, you flash a smile at someone whether your their neighbor or a complete stranger. I love the humility of the community. You rarely go somewhere in town without seeing a familiar face. There would be times you and your friends had nothing better to do than to cruise around the streets with your windows down blaring music or running around Walmart causing a ruckus until a worker tells you to scram. The night life in small town may have seemed boring and dull to some, but with my friends that was our time to adventure to creepy old churches, abandon houses, or to take a night dip in someone's pond. As much time you spent complaining to your buddies about how ready you are to graduate and "get out of this town" I can say looking back I would not trade those years of my life for anything in the world. These reasons are only skimming the surface of why I will always have a special place in my heart for small towns.