Coming from a small town has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. Coming from a place where you know everyone and their entire family, it's a really great sense of community that very few people actually get to experience. We have long-standing traditions that generation after generation uphold, and when one member of our community experience a loss, we all mourn together. I remember growing up and wishing I could live anywhere else, but now I wonder why I ever wanted to leave.

Living in a town with a total population of about 2,500 people probably seems unfathomable to a lot of people. My hometown has two stoplights and the only "fast food" we have is a Subway right outside of town. There might not be a large selection of things to do, but there are always nearby towns who can provide entertainment.

As a little kid, I was always allowed to run around with my friends in town because there was never any fear of anything happening. Chances are if your child was running around with their friends, you could call your friend a couple streets down and find them in a neighboring yard. Everyone is always so friendly and it was always easy to just ask if you ever needed anything. Our small community has each other's backs no matter what. When I was a senior in high school, a member of our community was in pretty serious condition. The entire community stood behind their family and through a lot of prayer a kind words, he eventually got better. It is a beautiful thing to see an entire community supporting one family in their time of need and people from bigger towns and cities don't often get to see that.

We also have a lot of traditions in town that would be nearly impossible in a big city. Before the high school's homecoming, we always have a parade during school where the entire high school gets to walk around town with the team, cheerleaders, and marching band. We have another more formal parade right before the game. Of course the entire town turns out for things like parades and homecoming football games because it's one of the easiest ways for us all to connect together. When our athletic teams come home from state, we all get together in the middle of the square and teepee the traffic lights. The way we celebrate each other's victories is such an amazing thing and it really brings our community even closer together. We lift each other up and support through everything.

Our local businesses are one of the biggest parts of our community. We recently had two new restaurants open up, both owned locally. It was so nice to see everyone go out and support their local businesses because we rely on each other here.

When I moved away to college, I was so excited. I was ready to be in a bigger town where I could walk down the street and actually find restaurants and nightlife and I was so excited for something new. I took for granted how there's never any traffic in a small town and it's not often that we wake up to the sounds of loud beeping and tires screeching. I come home for my family and for the familiarity of it all. I miss walking down the street and waving to everyone I pass without getting strange looks. It's nice to come back to my small town and still be welcomed in as if I never left. I love this town, and I thought I was made for the big city until I left.

I was very, very wrong.

I love you, Columbus Grove. Never change.