My home and my heart are currently in a small town here in Virginia. I wasn't born here but I feel like I have been here forever. It is the place where I am comfortable. It is the place I never want to leave.

The beautiful scenery is one of the many bonuses of living in the country. There are mountains and streams in every direction. The fields are green and beautiful. The dirt roads seem to last forever but they don't go anywhere. In all directions, the view is like one off a postcard.

There is the best fishing around here in Virginia. I just like to sport fish. I catch and release until my hands get tired. One day, I sat in the same spot and caught one hundred fish. It was a very fun experience.

Instead of drive by shootings, we have drive by waving. Everyone is friendly. It is common courtesy to wave when you see someone. We all know each other but we mind our own business. When someone asks how you are, they wait for a reply.

People are willing to help each other. The word community means something. People value friendship and working together. Everyone is sociable. If someone needs a hand, there are three or four offered to them.

In my town it is all right to be old-fashioned. We are all behind the times. Appearance doesn't matter and neither do petty things. Hard work isn't a thing of the past. Home cooking isn't something you only hear stories about.

There is very little crime rate in my town. The local gas stations don't get robbed every night. Little old ladies don't get mugged. People don't shoot each other. The only reason we carry guns is to hunt. If we wanted to, we could sleep with the doors unlocked. It just feels safe here.

When I was a girl I dreamed of a big house with a picket fence. I settled for a chain link. I dreamed of flower gardens, I got giant holes dug by my pets. I dreamed of having a place I could call my own and I got one. It isn't a mansion but it is mine. No one can take it away from me. It may someday be my son's.

I love it because it is home. I have made memories here. I have made friends and had adventures. I have felt good and bad. I have cried and I have laughed here. I have poured my heart and soul into my home and there is no place that I would rather be.

Learn more about this author, Laura Leigh Fields.
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