I Love Small Town USA, Y'all

If anyone knows what it is like to leave the comfort of one's home, it's this girl. Since the end of 2009 on an almost daily basis, I have explored several new places, tried new things, and exposed myself to things that I wouldn't have necessarily been able to do, see, and experience if I would have chosen to stay in the south. I felt limited by my location and couldn't settle with knowing there were so many opportunities out there that I was missing out on by staying put in a place that didn't "feel quite right" to me at that moment. Each time I go back home to visit, I am quickly reminded of why I always choose to leave. Although I love my family, my friends, and several components of the culture that one will only find south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the prevalence of closed-mindedness, judgment, racism, and ignorance that I consistently find there continues to keep me away.

During the entire month of May as I was packing my bags for Tennessee, I listened to several people ask me the question: "Why in the world would you want to go back to the south especially during the summer?" Their reasons being: 1)The summer is the best season in Colorado; 2)There is no humidity here, and it is so humid in the south!!; and 3)There are so many more opportunities here than there are in Tennessee.
Believe me, I have pondered over all of these numerous times as well, and I cannot find any argument against even one of them.

With that being said, the love of my family and friends, the consistency of support, and the feeling of comfort and security that is always present in Tennessee and Georgia keep calling me back. Don't get me wrong: I know a lot of good people around this country, but only a few of the relationships I have outside of the south are relatively similar to the ones that I have back home. When I go home, the relationships are real. They aren't just the semi-temporary ones that I find myself making to "pass the time" until I move on to the next best thing. [Note: I want to stress that I have made some lifelong, lasting friendships throughout my travels (the Savage family in Portland; the McNamaras in Denver; Seve, Aaron, Natalie, and several others in Colorado; Quinton in Iowa; Cam's buddies in Albuquerque etc.) that I hold near and dear to my heart. I am not discrediting any of those!!!] There is nothing quite like coming back home after some crazy move/adventure and knowing that the hugs, laughs, and quality time that will be spent with my family and friends will be exactly like it was the moment that I packed my bags and left the last time.

I know from time to time I can be rather harsh to the south: its culture, the people, the lifestyle, etc., but when it comes down to it, I wouldn't change a thing about how and where I grew up. It's the small town feeling that keeps bringing me back. It's the feeling of unity when watching an SEC football game no matter which two teams are playing, the respect felt from a gentleman as he opens and holds the door for every lady walking in or out of a building, the smiles and excitement when any Johnny Cash or Hank Williams Jr. song is played at a honky tonk, and the dependability that no matter where you are, there will be plenty of sweet tea and old ladies blessing your heart. The south really is "small town USA," and that is why I keep coming back.

If and when I decide to leave again, which we all know will surely be sooner rather than later, just know that it is nothing against the people or the culture. It is me spreading my wings and experiencing as much as I can out of life while I am able. It is my drifter ways that make me who I am. Although I am curious about other cultures and people who are different than I am, I will always be proud of our "small town USA" ways and the people that I call my family and friends. When I joke about the south, it is only out of love and respect. When I am upset with the closed-mindedness stereotype and need some space to explore on my own, it is for personal growth and the betterment of myself. When I walk away or get on the next flight to who-knows-where-ville, I promise I will always come back home to Tennessee and to the people who love me and those that I love the most.