"You're Never Going To Leave Ann Arbor"

That's what someone said to me about six months ago. At the time, I was offended because I've never been the type of person to let grass grow under my feet, and to be honest, I hated the thought of being a "small-town" girl. In retrospect, I should have considered the source and brushed it off as an unfortunate side effect of an abrasive personality, but for whatever reason it stuck with me. Ironically, the comment that once made me cringe has turned into a sort of badge of honor. I'm pretty sure that I will end up moving away at some point, but there's a part of me that will never leave Ann Arbor, and there's a part of Ann Arbor that will never leave me.

Over the past few weeks I have found myself feeling very much at home in this town. I have to add a disclaimer here that, as far as I'm concerned, "home" is where my mom is. A recent trip home for Easter reminded me of this. However, I am finding a second home in Ann Arbor and settling into my life here. For the first time I feel like I am part of this community. I am no longer here as a student or a young professional just starting out. I am a bonafide tax-paying, half-granola townie and proud of it.

I have been making a concerted effort to take advantage of all of the cool things Ann Arbor has to offer. I'm going to concerts, hanging out at local coffee shops, logging time at the gym, and volunteering with a teen center called Neutral Zone. I'm meeting a ton of new people, and several times over the past couple of weeks I have run into people I know while out and about. In fact, today I met someone who remembered me from a Chamber of Commerce meeting that I spoke at 4 years ago as Miss Washtenaw County. I'm starting to realize how big my network here really is. I am so lucky to be a part of such a thriving community, and when people ask me where I'm from, I no longer hesitate.