I grew up in a small town in the heart of California's Central Valley, an area of the United States that people love to hate. The area is seen as a dusty, conservative farmland, existing only to provide delicious produce and roads to the Bay Area or Los Angeles. Waterless and dry though it may be, it is not short on redeeming qualities. While it has no dazzling ocean views or spectacular snowy peaks, the valley has its own unique marvels. Each spring, almond orchards explode in blossoms of pink and white. The Sierra Nevada lines the east and foothills border us on the west, framing every sunrise and sunset. When it rains, the fields become a sea of bright green that sparks wild flowers. A two hour drive in one direction is Yosemite National Park. Drive two hours in the other direction and you'll end up in San Francisco.
My hometown, Turlock, is very traditionally boring. We have stop signs, some poorly maintained roads, a Target, and agriculture. However, with relatively little effort, one can look past Turlock's boring exterior to find rich community and history. Turlock, CA was once known for having the most churches per capita in the United States. While it no longer holds that crown (though it still has A LOT of churches), Turlock has plenty of other bragging rights. My city is known for Colin Kaepernick (despite popular belief, most of our citizens still support him), heroic kitten-saving firefighters (read more here), and a viral video of a kid that can dance exactly like Michael Jackson. Some of our beloved downtown landmarks were even featured in the cinematic masterpiece, "Christian Mingle" (Now on Netflix, with a solid 4.3/10 stars on IMDB!).
Down the street from my house is a farm that converts itself into a pumpkin patch and corn maze in the fall, and an ice skating rink in the winter. At the start of every holiday season, our brick-lined downtown hosts a tree lighting festival. While the tree itself stands at a mildly underwhelming fifteen feet, the gasp from the crowd as it is first lit is audible. Children perched on their parents' shoulders clap with glee and everyone cheers even though most are shivering because 55 degrees fahrenheit in the central valley is cold.
In May, one of the biggest stories in the Turlock Journal was this:
"Community rallies to find missing tortoise"
Now, before I worry you too much, I should say that the tortoise, named George, was returned to his owner safe and sound after six days. George's adventure received quite a lot of media coverage and he even flirted with fame in an interview on Good Day Sacramento. Could a town that unites under the common cause of a lost tortoise be cast off as plain without a second thought?
Everyone thinks that their hometown is boring. Going about your life in the same environment day by day can really mask the true beauty of your surroundings. With my stories of tortoises and kittens, I am not trying to suggest that Turlock is an exception. It is not a west coast Stars Hollow, maple-lined and straight out of a sitcom. Every place has its own unique stories to tell. Explore the place you take for granted. Sit on graffitied benches and enjoy the view. Go for a hike in your city park, no matter how small it is. Pay attention to old, decrepit buildings: history hides all around you. Down every street are interesting stories waiting to be discovered. Be it in a flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk or freshly baked bread in a shop window, you'll find beauty.
