There are over eight million people who live on this planet and everyone is from somewhere. In my hometown of Dyersburg, TN, there are a little over sixteen thousand residents. My parents and I were both born and raised in this town. The largest places Dyersburg is home to are a community college and a regional airport; these two places should demonstrate the size of my town. If you stop at either Walmart or Kroger, our two largest grocery stores, you are sure to run into someone you know. I have enjoyed growing up in a small community where “everybody knows everybody.” Our county school system has five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. I am thankful for this as I am still acquaintances with other students I have known for up to thirteen years. Now, as a senior in high school, I am ready to move to a larger town: one with more restaurants, housing, job opportunities, and simply more people.

     In greater detail of where I live, Dyersburg is the main city in Dyer County, Tennessee. Dyersburg itself has split into smaller communities, such as Finley, Millsfield, Four Points, and Fowlkes. Originally, my grandparents were from Chicago, but when they relocated here, they moved into a house close to Four Points.  When I was just born, my parents decided to move on to the same road in order to be close to them. Both my parents and my grandparents still live in these exact same houses. Being from Four Points, my home is very close to the regional airport; not many planes fly here, but when they do, you can see and hear them from where I live. As for my neighbors, the majority are retired, quiet, and polite, but none of them are very communicative. I am the youngest person who lives on my road and I have been since we moved. 

     In my opinion, Dyersburg is home to some of the best restaurants and small businesses. We have three local Mexican restaurants, two Italian restaurants, and a steakhouse. We even have a bakery, a soap store, and multiple nutrition drink shops. Recently, we opened up a shopping center with stores such as Hobby Lobby, Old Navy, and Marshall’s. We are now rumored to open a Starbucks and a Dunkin’ Donuts, too. However, there are many run-down and abandoned stores and restaurants that have not been taken care of since the new additions became popular; this is one of the main things I dislike about where I live. The restaurants I named are some of the only nice places to eat. Dining and shopping locations continue to close because of uncleanness, rudeness of staff, and an overall lack of employees. Because of the size of the town, there will never be any restaurants or shopping centers larger than the one we just received. My city only has one college and one hospital so people do not frequently move into town and the number of jobs are limited. I have also known people to experience struggle in finding available places to live; we do not have many apartments or rental houses. I do not like the size of Dyersburg now that I am old enough to experience what the town has to offer. 

     If I had to choose whether to stay or to leave my hometown, I would choose to leave. I graduate high school in less than five months and I will be attending the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. I am venturing away from Dyersburg for the same reasons I dislike it. If I stay here, I will forever be around the same people and I will have the same few opportunities to choose from. I plan to major in medical laboratory science while in college with the eventual job outcome being located in a hospital setting. Personally, I would love to work in a children’s hospital or at least a facility with a pediatric wing; we have neither of those where I am from. I might even attempt to attend medical school, which would also not be possible if I stayed here. 

     My small hometown of Dyersburg, TN has treated me well for the past eighteen years of my life. The local restaurants, small businesses, and familiar faces have made me thankful to have grown up in a close community. Even though the city has been attempting to add shopping centers and more chain restaurants, the limited job opportunities have personally made this town worth moving away from. I look forward to spending time with new people in a larger town with a multitude of opportunities.