Dear small town girl,
You might be reading this sitting in your carefully decorated bedroom. Your trophies from last track season are getting a bit dusty. The 4H ribbons you’ve had hung on your wall since you joined the local club when you were 8 are starting to fade. Your bulletin board has pictures of your best friends, your summer camp memories, and your dream college list. Your favorite playlist is going – a mix of top 40 and hot country. Pictures of far away places and posters of inspirational quotes and your favorite movies cover most of the pastel walls.
You might be wondering:
Where do I go from here? From this small bedroom? From this small town? What if I can’t get out? What if I don’t want to leave?
I’m here to tell you that you will surprise yourself in what those answers are going to be when you look back in twenty years. Maybe you’ll go off to college and return home to make your small town the type of place you want to raise your family. Maybe you’ll head off to a big city and not look back.
Right now, because you don’t know what’s possible, you don’t know what’s possible.
It’s up to you to figure out what your possible is. Be strong, write down your dreams, and act on those dreams.
- Want a full ride to college? Make a plan to make it happen.
- Want to travel the world? Find one place to start.
- Want to help those less fortunate than you? Start in your own town.
I’ll write a letter to your older self soon. In the meantime, enjoy driving on open roads, the barn parties (be safe, of course), speak up when you see a way to make things better in your community, and always remember your roots.
Take care,
A (slightly older) small town girl
