1. You get a chocolate milk and breakfast pizza from Rapids every morning

It's the best start to any day, sitting in the hall with your pals and washing down your pizza with cold chocolate milk.

2. Basketball Districts is pretty much a holiday

I'm not biased or anything, but we're pretty great at sports. If you aren't present at every districts game dressed in whatever crazy theme we picked that night, then you were probably lost or out-of-town.

Every year in my high school career one of our teams made it to state. This was even better because we all got off school to go support the teams in Columbia. Huge gym. Loud screaming fans. And our team kicking butt. You couldn't miss it.

3. The Broiler Festival is the most exciting thing all year.

It might be known for our chicken, but don't sell us short. The Broiler Festival is a great fundraising weekend for our teams and clubs. Be careful with the rides though, it could be duck taped together (no I'm not kidding). It's also a lot of fun catching up with old friends.

All the previous seniors just started college, kids you graduated with are now engaged or having kids, and old coaches that'll tell you all about their hopes for the new season. My personal favorite part though is the festival food and drinks. Funnel cakes for days, kettle corn, pork rinds, and the best lemonade you'll ever taste all in the center of our town.

4. Your teachers more than likely doubled as your coaches. 

We all know a few coaches that made great teachers as well. This made it easy for them to keep you on your toes in the academic aspect as well. We were always taught that as student-athletes we had to put the student part of our lives first. Having a coach as your teacher is nice because if you ever need help in that class, all they want for you is to succeed, so they would help as much as they could.

5. You take turns going to all three of our restaurants on game days. 

I can remember Freshman year of basketball, no one could drive to any neighboring towns yet. This resulted in us walking to eat before games (or hitching a ride with an older teammate). But our town had very limited options, so on the busy weeks when we would have multiple games, we would rotate where we went that way we didn't get sick of one specific restaurant. And you can't forget free cookies on game days at Subway.

6. You are aware of the fact that Mr. McKinley doesn't appreciate the work 'like'

If you ever spoke the word "like" in his class, the next thing to follow would be "it isn't 'like' anything". This is a good habit to break early on in life. There is nothing worse than having a conversation and hearing the word 'like' every minute. Unfortunately, I have to be self-disciplined now that I am graduated and I have to say it is not going too hot.

7. You don't mind having Subway three times a week because that all we have. 

Good thing Subway has a broad variety of options. This is the only big chain restaurant we had in town, so we had to learn to love it.

8. Everyone gets their stereo hookup at Rick's 

The next big step after getting a car was getting a good system, so when you're driving down the road everyone can hear you from a mile away. The guys with the big trucks and loudspeakers love their music blasting so everyone knows they just got a new system put in.

9 Your dating choices are limited, mainly because you have to find someone that your friends haven't had a thing with. 

There is this unspoken rules in small towns that you can't date anyone that any of your friends have had feelings for. This made it difficult at a small school, because there were only a handful of cute guys anyway. You always had those girls that wouldn't follow the rules, and this resulted in unnecessary catfights.

10. You most likely have beef with Marionville, but in a few months you'll probably be dating one of them. 

One of our biggest rivals in school were the Marionville Comets. Mainly because we were always playing for the districts championship against each other. Now although we couldn't stand them come basketball time, there was no doubt about it every year there would be new couples from each school forming.

11. You see the decorative washing machine along 413 for each holiday.

If you know, you know. I always look forward to the lights hanging around it at Christmas time the most.

12. You've known everyone since kindergarten, yet they continue to surprise you

People are continuously growing and changing. Your bestfriend in kindergarten might grow up to do somethings you don't agree with or even be someone you never expected. This is the interesting thing about small towns, you've known everyone for so long that no matter what they do you know they aren't genuinely a bad person-unless they do turn psycho, but that hasn't happened to me yet.

13. You join clubs because they take you on fun trips

It is never a bad thing to be involved. Joining clubs in high school can teach you valuable lessons that are essential in the real world. I learned more from my clubs in high school about business skills and how to be professional, than I learned in any of my classes. These clubs can take you places in life, I mean this figuratively and literally. We would always get to go on the best trips and see cool sights that you wouldn't mind the 15 hour ride in a charter bus or mini van.

14. Country roads really do take you home

The only good thing about having a lot of backroads is the fact that when you're bored you can just drive around, listen to music, and not bother anyone. The downfall of living on a dirt road is needing to wash your car at least once a week so it doesn't look like you drove through a big pile of dirt.

15. You creep on everyone even after they graduate, and silently judge them on their life choices. 

One of the biggest things I can't stand is small town judgement, everyone thinks they deserve a say in what you do or at least thinks you have to listen to their input about it. There are very few people I actually care about their opinion, I will say being an education major, one big one would include my former teachers.

The worst people who are involved in this is people that are still in high school. Bless their hearts because they don't have any idea on what the real world is like yet. You are probably guilty of it, but here's a little something for you to remember, we are graduated we don't need your judgement. Just wait until it is your turn.

16. No matter where you go, you'll see someone you know. 

Want to go to the store to get some milk? Be prepared to see someone and have a short conversation about life with them. Need to fill up you gas tank because you're going out of town? Someone will more than likely try to have a conversation across the parking lot. If you ever see someone around town and aren't in the mood to talk, that's considered rude because you think you're too good for them now. If I ever see you and don't talk to you, it is more than likely because I-1. have no makeup on or 2. had a really long day and just wanna go home to sleep.

17. You support all the small businesses because you know them personally and are happy to see their success

The support in this community is amazing. Want to start your own business or raise money for a good cause? Go ahead, you already know we will buy something. That's the main thing I love about our little town, everyone knows everyone so they are there to get you through hard times, and celebrate when things are going good. When you support a small business, you're supporting a dream.

18.You know where all the cops hide

If you're driving past the Ford dealership you better slow down because you can always bet there will be one hiding there. Driving back into town, down the hill, he's more than likely waiting in the school parking lot. Late night with some friends and you all met at the gravel parking lot? Don't do anything stupid because they're waiting at the funeral home across the street. Also, with knowing their hiding spots you learn what towns you can and can't speed in. You know you're a local if you go exactly the speed limit through Billings.

19. Word gets around fast

It could be true, it could be a rumor. No one cares because it's the new drama of the week. I transferred colleges and just because I didn't post anything on social media everyone just assumed that I dropped out. You know what they say about assumptions. If your car is in the gravel late at night people start asking questions. If you hung out with a boy over the weekend, everyone will know by Monday.

20.You have to drive 30 minutes to do any big shopping

If you need something for a game or spirit week you have to prepare well because no one wants to make a 'quick' trip to Springfield- It'll take at least a couple of hours.

21.You call it Crane, America

Thanks Coach Mullins for getting me stuck on this one. I don't know why, but I still catch myself saying this sometimes and I get the weirdest looks. I guess I got used to saying it around people who didn't recognize it as an odd way of addressing your home town.

22. After a sporting event you can catch everyone at Sonic or Taco Bell

Getting food after a game with your friends is half the fun of going to the game. Usually the pick was Sonic, but if we ever wanted more variety we would make the drive to tbell.

23. We have to make our own fun

Whether it is climbing buildings or hitting golf balls off the hill, we only cause trouble because there is nothing else to do. There's not many other things to do around town so we have to get creative.

24.You knew your teacher's personal life

You know your teachers-either your parents knew them growing up, or they've been teaching there so long everyone knows of them. We have the same teachers all throughout high school so you have four years together, and most of them are also the advisors for clubs. When this is the case you also see them for fundraisers, trips, meetings, and out in town sometimes.

25. Being late to practice because we got stuck behind a train or a tractor

Yes this happens. The trains are irritating because you're so close to the school and there's nothing you can do now except wait. Depending on the sport, the coach might ask you to take a picture of it to know that you aren't just late. I think following a tractor is the most frustrating thing in the world, I only see them on big highways and they are always going like 30 in a 55. You could pass them, but sometimes you just have to wait it out.

26. You always say you can't wait to move away, but there a 90% chance you won't.

Throughout high school I always said how much I couldn't wait to move away to college and get away from the small town and the drama. I did move away and I ended up coming back. No matter where you go there will always be drama, the only thing different about a small town is that in a week no one will care.

27. We have our ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade anything for this small town.

We might not have anywhere to eat, everyone might know your business, the closest mall is a good 45-minute drive, but we have the most support a town could ever have. We are there doing everything we can in hard times-even if all we can do is pray.

If disaster strikes the town, you can bet we will all help clean it up. We are there to spend the good times together if this means winning a state championship or just having fun at the broiler festival. You know the town will be joined with happy helping hands.