I was born in California. I was a native of California. Just about almost all my relatives have lived in California for most of half a century. I should have lived in that golden era for most of my life. Until my Dad lost his company. The first job position was in a small town in the center of the Midwest: Missouri. My parents believed that though it was difficult and they never wanted to move out of their home state, they were conceived that it was meant to be.

I wasn’t even four yet when I moved to the great Ozarks on a hot August day. Wish I could say we were greeted by sweet country folks in the beginning. However, at the start, it wasn’t always a nice warm welcome. Before more businesses came into view, my family said that the small town reminded them of Mayberry from one of the old TV shows. Generations upon generations had lived there. Some marriages got started as young as seventeen. Most things are slow and simple—traveling anywhere in the world was far from the minds of most locals. Just plain commitment. I’ve been told that the only way to fit in was owning a pickup truck, a rifle for hunting, a loyal dog, or having all three. Because we didn’t have either one, we were jokingly told not to tell anyone about that.

Always loved the home I grew up in. A brick house with a backyard and creek hidden in the privacy behind more trees than one could count. I used to think every kid grew up in a house like mine. It wasn’t until we had some kids visit us and stay amazed at ours, dreaming of having a house of their own someday, away from the day-to-day home in the apartments where they lived.

I was homeschooled and loved it that way. However, just because you’re homeschooled, doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t have bullies or drama. I have quite a few. “When you all graduate, that person will move, and you’ll never see them again,” I’ve been told, believed it, and then once in a while see that person staying in the small town. I guess they must love one place.

While some may get under the skin, it does not mean that everyone is like that. Sometimes it may take a while for others to get to know and warm up. And I can confidently say, not often, when you are walking alone, whether in the rain or carrying groceries, there may be someone driving by who offers you a ride. No one in California does that. In the last few years, whenever someone had a baby, died, or was sick, there would be an organized meal train coming by. And there is no doubt for extreme support for any small local business.

Small town taught me to appreciate all things, even the smallest that can easily be taken for granted. Country life taught me the value of hard work, smarter, not harder incentives, as well as what character to have and not to have. The Ozarks gave me something to look forward to every season: showers in spring, blooming greens in summer, and the cold to have an excuse to wear sweaters in the winter. But my favorite is the vibrant colors of autumn— whether passing by someone’s front tree, or seeing valleys of endless color. I will confess that Missouri weather can be quite chaotic. But if I focus on these little joys that seasons and weathers bring, it’s more worth it.

Now, as much as I am grateful for growing up in a small town, I still love adventures throughout the state to explore with my husband. Most places may be believed to be all the same, yet it is not true. Each cavern is different to go in. All rivers are different sizes and reflections like mirrors. Not every tree is small. Not every town is alike. Any landmark has a history, a story, a legend that needs to be kept being told.

Will we someday move somewhere? Probably. And that is okay. I have enjoyed my little life, and I am still enjoying the life I have right now. I never thought that I would one day move to one of Missouri’s popular cities like St. Louis, but I’m surprisingly loving it. Yet, no matter where I live or where I will move, I will never forget where I came from with humble beginnings, and knowing that we continue to need great people around us, even if they drive a pickup truck.