For me, it was always about getting out of my hometown when I was younger. It was about going to college in a bigger place, fulfilling my dreams and building a new path for myself. A path that I could never travel in my hometown with a population of 1,200 people. It was about meeting new people, having new and very different experiences from what I was used to and broadening my horizons.
When I finally left for college, I could not have been more excited to see my hometown in the rearview mirror. All of the pesky, small town drama was finally behind me and I could finally explore the world in a way I never had before. At that point, I could have cared less about visiting my hometown anytime soon, because what did it have to offer me?
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But I was so wrong.
With new experiences came ground that I hadn't yet tread. A ground filled with uncertainty and unpredictable situations that left me feeling shaky and out of sorts. Whether these experiences had positive or negative outcomes, they were all new and all thrown at me in a short amount of time. The only thing I could think to do to regroup from the massive wave of unfamiliar experiences was to go home.
Although I left with a negative connotation of my hometown, it would still always be home. It would remain exactly the same as it had been for the past 18 years and that was comforting in and of itself. No matter what life was throwing at me, I could always find my way back to a place that felt familiar. It would always be a place where my loved ones remained, where the same parties were thrown every Saturday night and where the same people walked down the street and genuinely cared how I was doing when they asked. It would always be the place where my mind could take a break from my hectic reality, even if only for a couple days at a time.
The familiarity aspect of this cozy little town is something that I would never be able to find in any other remedy. There's something about pulling into the driveway of the house that raised me and just feeling a calming sense of relief when I realize I will just be able to relax and turn my switch off for a few days. It's stress free and slow paced, sometimes being exactly what I need when everything is normally flying by me at high speed on a day to day basis.
Although it took me awhile to appreciate my hometown for what it is, it will always be where my heart lies. If i'm living halfway across the country, it will still be the place I will call home for the rest of my life. To have something like that, something so calming and familiar, is a thing I will forever feel lucky to call mine.
