Whether it was a small town in the middle of absolutely no where or Los Angeles, California, your home town helped define your life in ways you can't even imagine. You probably swore up and down at least a hundred times that you would get out of that town and do something better with your life. But even if you did manage to fulfill your dreams, don't forget the people and places who got you there.

No one loves their hometown all day every day, especially as a teenager. It can seem tedious and unescapable at times. When you're growing up in a small town you see the same faces, eat the same food, drive the same route, and breathe the same air day after day after day. No wonder all you want to do is hop on a plane and fly far away. But when you're in high school you only have the time to see the parts of your town that are necessary for school. You miss out on so many other parts of life your town has to offer. Even if you've been there your whole life there are things and places in your hometown you have yet to discover. Even if you hate it, don't forget that everything in the world is constantly growing and changing. With time, your little hometown will grow and expand and the tediousness will fade into curiosity.

It's hard to believe right now, but you should be grateful for the place you were born and raised in. You should be grateful to all of the people you ever met in that town. Whether you liked them or not, they helped turn you into the person you are today. That means your family, friends, enemies, acquaintances, teachers, parent's friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, priests, waiters, chefs, clerks, reverends, ministers, and your siblings. Everyone you ever knew in that town has had some sort of impact on your life. Without them and without that place, you would not be who you are today. So the next time you think back on your hometown, look around and see where you are now and be grateful.