There's No Place Like Home

When I left to go to college at Virginia Tech I was very excited but at the same time I was worried about a lot of different things. I was nervous about if I was going to get along with my roommate or not, if I was going to be able to earn good grades, if I was going to get homesick, and many other things that come along with moving into a new environment such as college. Thankfully, I have meet some great girls in my hall that I really get along with—including my roommate—and I am working really hard to try to get good grades. I have been keeping in touch with my family and I am usually very busy with school work and other things so I have not really gotten homesick. Then one weekend I went home.
When I finally got to see my dog, my family, and my house itself, I became really happy to see them again. This made me very homesick because I had not realized how much I had missed all of those things. In a way it made me not want to go back to Virginia Tech. But I just kept telling myself that I will be able to come back soon and all of these things will be here waiting for me when I do.
My home has always been a place of comfort and rest for me. This is mainly because I had loving parents, two awesome older sisters, and my house was in between two mountain ranges which made it very secluded. The community in which our house is located in is known as Fort Valley. We are so secluded from everything around us that the nearest hospital is forty five minutes away. Because we are so secluded, my mother decided to give birth to me and one of my sisters in our house with the assistance of just a midwife. This gives me an even greater connection to my home because not only was I raised there for the past eighteen years, but I was actually born there. Having been born and raised in the country has given me many great memories of my childhood. But before I get into my childhood memories, I would like to explain one of the reasons why I love my home so much. One of the best parts about growing up in the location that I did, was the beautiful scenery.
Fort Valley is a beautiful place to live in or even visit. As you drive into Fort Valley, you first start to see the tree covered mountains to your left and right grow taller as you get closer and closer; then a tunnel of trees suddenly surrounds the road. As you drive further down the winding road, to your right is a rock wall of one mountain and to your left is a rippling creek. Directly beside the creek is the ridge of the other mountain. When you take a glance at the top of it, there are huge rocks that create a cliff and a spectacular view. There are beautiful sights like this all along Fort Valley that people enjoy driving through to go see on Sunday afternoons. The scenery of Fort Valley is actually quite similar to the countryside at Virginia Tech; which does help me feel a little less homesick. Although it is just not the same as being back at home because of all the wonderful memories I have in Fort Valley.
Most of the great memories I have from when I was growing up had to do with being raised in a rural community. I enjoyed growing up in a small, rural community because I had the opportunity to experience “country living”. By this I mean I was always outside doing things like climbing in trees or on rocks, taking walks through the woods looking for mushrooms, fishing, hunting (yes I hunted for three seasons when I was younger), riding four wheelers and bicycles, and various other types of outdoor activities. I loved growing up in the country as a kid because there was always something like this to do outside.
Another thing I loved about growing up in the county was how the land was so plentiful. My parents grew a garden every year with plenty of crops, such as tomatoes, onions, potatoes, lettuce, green beans, peas, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, blue berries, and so many other fruits and vegetables. Having fruits and vegetables right out of the garden tastes so much better than store bought food because it is so fresh.
My dad also raises chickens, so we always have fresh eggs as well; which definitely taste a lot better than eggs you buy from the grocery store. But of course the best part of living in the country (and with a hunter) is eating venison. There are so many things you can make with it: steaks, hamburger, jerky, or bologna and it all tastes so good. I am very glad I grew up in the country because if I had not, then I may have never gotten the chance to eat any of these things or experience the outdoors like I had.
Growing up in Fort Valley gave me many opportunities to try so many things that a lot of young girls would not even think about doing. My childhood at my home had a huge impact on who I am today by making me a country girl at heart. By this I mean I do not freak out every time I see a spider like some girls do and I am more of an outdoors kind of person.
Going back home was somewhat sad for me because I miss all of the home cooked meals from right out of the garden and the peace and quiet of the wilderness. But I am going to have to start getting used to living on my own without the comfort of my parents or my home and start living in the real world. Although, I will never forget the first eighteen years of my life that I spent in Fort Valley and all the things I learned while I was there.