The Role of the Places I'm From

I think that my background and hometown had and have a huge influence on who I am today. I have a great appreciation for where I'm from and how I felt about the area. When I was a kid I would always go for bike rides along the nature trail and admire the massiveness of some of the trees, the thickness of the brush, and the age of the place in general. To think how old those trees had been there at the time just seemed astonishing. I can really see how this came from both sides of my family too. When I helped my grandpa on my mom's side of the family out on his farm, I could tell that he had a real appreciation for the land and how it provided for him in a sense. And just this past break, listening to my grandpa on my dad's side talk about just how beautiful the snow was made me realize just how much he appreciated the area's beauty too. We could go fishing for hours on end without catching anything, and he would still enjoy it just because he was outside on the open water. And I definately feel like I share that connection, too. Just being outside, walking in the grass, floating on the water, breathing the open air, feels refreshing.
The place I'm from isn't too big, but not all that small either. It's big enough that, no matter where I go I feel like I always see at least one person I recognize. I went to the smaller of the two high schools in the town and that definately helped shape my values. It felt more like a family there than a school. I knew nearly everyone there by first and last names, and people were always there for each other. I definately feel a strong connection to where I'm from and the nature around it.