I had a great experience growing up in a small town—Scituate, Rhode Island. I had an amazing group of friends, strong roots, and made memories I’ll always cherish. But I also craved something new. College felt like the perfect time to grow in a fresh environment and I wanted to expand my horizons.
When it came time to choose a school, I looked at options in Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and more. Eventually, I landed on UVM. When the day came, I packed up and left. It was a bittersweet goodbye—not too far from home, but definitely farther than any of my close friends were going. Still, I was excited for what was ahead.
I adjusted quickly to life in Vermont. I didn’t deal with overwhelming homesickness, but I did head home for the occasional long weekend when I needed a reset. With that, something unexpected started to happen. As my love for UVM and Burlington grew, so did my love for little Scituate. I started talking about my hometown more and more. Now I’m a full-blown Rhode Island hype girl.
It’s not just small talk… It’s pride. I genuinely light up when someone asks where I’m from. I love talking about the Ocean State—our beaches, my favorite local cafés, the reservoir I grew up near, and our iconic fall art festival. There’s a certain charm to Rhode Island that I’ve come to appreciate more with distance.
Sometimes my friends and I will swap high school stories, and I find myself smiling as I share mine from Scituate High. It definitely had its ups and downs, like any high school, but it was home to me. The more I reflect on it, the more I realize how much growing up in a small town shaped me. I had amazing, caring, teachers and a solid group of friends since I was very young. And hearing about other people’s experiences has only deepened that appreciation.
Distance truly does bring clarity. The farther I am from Scituate, the more I see how uniquely special it was—and still is. I don’t regret going away for school, but I now know how lucky I am to have grown up in a place I can speak about with such love and gratitude. Leaving gave me space, and in that space, I found a new kind of appreciation for the little state that raised me.