Small Town, USA

I'm taking a mini vacation home to Texas tomorrow. You would think I would be thrilled by this, but that's not exactly true this time. Part of me is thrilled, because this means I get some much needed family time. I've had a really hard time being away from them these last couple months, so I'm thankful I planned ahead and took a week off to go home.

The other part to this trip is going to a friend's wedding, which means I'll be going to back to my hometown of Carthage. As I'm writing this, I can't even remember the last time I was there since neither of my parents live there now. (I guess my dad kind of does, but we never go "into town" while I'm at his house.) It has to have been at least three years, if not longer. Anyway, Carthage is your typical small town in Texas: very conservative, everyone knows things about you before you do, and most people put on a show to make it seem like they're living a great life. Sounds exciting, right?

Another typical small town theme is the idea of success, if you will. You go to college, get a job, get married, have kids, and live happily ever after. Sure, that's what most people do regardless of where they are from, but that timeline seems to be magnified when you're from a small town (and frequently skips directly to the marriage and babies part). So many of the people I'll see this weekend will think no differently than this. You're expected to be living this way. (Have I mentioned how small-minded this town is?) I used to think this way too, and then I got out of that small town and realized there is more to life!

I obviously have not followed this pattern, thankfully, but I'm dreading the thousands of questions I'll get that will be solely based on who I'm dating (or not) and when I'll be getting married. "You're mom will want grandbabies," they'll say. I'm basically the only one of my hometown friends that isn't settled down yet. They certainly won't approve of me being 26 and so very single, off galavanting around different cities for a few months at time.

But I chose this life, and I love this life! 

I don't why I'm so anxious about this coming weekend. They're opinions of how I live my life don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I know I'm the only one putting pressure on myself, but something about being there drives me crazy! So I've got a great dress, I'll put a smile on my face, and I'll enjoy an evening of seeing my old friend get wifed up!