If you would have asked me during my first several years that I lived here if I liked it I would've said no. Actually, no I wouldn't have because when people asked I pretty much just acted like it was okay, except to the people I was close to. I basically hated it. I hated how small it was. (Going from a city of 130,000 to a city of 11,000 is quite a change.) I was pretty depressed I think. I hated having to drive 30 minutes to get to "civilization" (the bigger city!) I hated not knowing many people and being so far away from my family and friends. I was homesick constantly and didn't not consider Illinois or Taylorville as my home.
I think when I started working at the Y is when I started feeling a little more at home. I started to get to know several people in the community and felt like people were starting to get to know me as well.
Plus, having Daniel brought me out of my shell more. It's easier to strike up conversations with people when you have a little kid. I started to venture out more around town. I found out when events were and would go. I started visiting the library and discovered story time. We started finding the parks and going to the playground. I started going on walks around the neighborhood and have met some really great people along the way.
What really changed my tune was finding my church family. I LOVE having a church so close to home. I can be there in less than 5 minutes. It's not that suddenly I hang out with people all the time. A lot of my friends actually live in other small towns around here, but I still just feel like I'm home.
It's the exact feeling I had when I lived in Iowa and went to Valley View. I can't tell you the amount of Sundays when I moved here and we went to our old church that I would cry on the way home or cry in the afternoon. It's not that it was awful. It's not that I didn't meet some wonderful people there. I just wasn't "home".
I look back and think how I felt God tugging at my heart to try Calvary for several years, but I had something holding me back. We took Daniel to trunk or treat there for the first 3 years before I started going, and I always felt drawn there. I had even been invited by someone once when I was pregnant with Daniel. It wasn't until I had been out of church for quite awhile that I was having some problems and went once to talk with a counselor. I didn't take a lot away from the experience but I did take one thing. She asked why I wasn't going to church when I mentioned wanting my boys to be involved. I told her why, and she told me that I couldn't use that as an excuse. That maybe try the place that I felt drawn to because there was probably a reason why. Maybe God wanted to use me there. How would I know if I didn't try?
The next Sunday I sucked it up. I gave myself pep talks all week because I knew I would talk myself out of it. I went though, and soon, I will become a member!
Yep, this "small town" of mine has officially grown on me. Would I move back to Iowa if we were given the opportunity. Probably! But, I'm finally content here. I like the sense of community. I like that I know people. I love that we have a million silly parades every year. It's not so bad when you feel accepted and know you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
The sign driving into town says, "Taylorville. A Great Place to Live". Indeed it is. I'm home.
