I grew up in a town that is home to just six thousand people. While I enjoyed growing up in Hope, British Columbia, it was far from easy. People who struggle with having no privacy, having to make fun of nothing, and having to drive forty-plus minutes for a Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme will never be able to live in a small town. Everyone at Hope knows my name, and unfortunately, that means they know all my business too. The cashier at my supermarket not only knows me by name, but she also knows that I bought a pregnancy test last week and will definitely ask me, particularly loudly, how the test went. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Living the wild teenage life of sneaking out on dates, stealing alcohol, and racing old cars to the airport, was all put to a halt when I inevitably noticed my principal, mayor, or boss on late night outings. Teenagers are often the talk of the town because they are the only ones who bring something interesting to the streets. In a small town people have to choose whether to talk or be talked about. People who fail to conform to any of these choices will not last long in any district. As a teenager growing up in Hope, there wasn't much to do for fun, so my friends kept me busy doing every single thing my parents asked me not to do. We all got drunk, had sex, did drugs, and climbed to the top of our local high school. The alcohol supply came from our older siblings or the only boy in our class who seemed old enough not to have his ID checked at the liquor store. If someone's parents were planning on being out of town for the weekend, their house would fall victim to our weekend revelry. We all knew that our parents gave us these rules and lessons, so they could say they were good parents, but we also knew that they were hellions even during our high school years. Unless the people who live here are willing to participate in the acceptable hobby of driving in circles around the city until the streetlights come on at night, they have to break the rules in place. Most newcomers to small towns have difficulty with this; however, they learn to adapt quickly or they move away. In Hope, having a car is a necessity because the closest "anything" is at least a half hour away on the highway. Driving in Hope has become such a routine that every time a big chain store opens near Hope, my whole town goes crazy. The shop became the talk of the neighborhood for years. Sure, I have to drive a long way to get to the store, but if I still have to drive into town to get dog food next week, the drive means nothing to me. If I had to rank the most memorable things that happened in my life in one list, it would be this: My high school graduation. The birth of my first granddaughter. The grand opening of Walmart, forty minutes from my house. .Even though living in Hope as a teenager forced me to become a reckless person that no one could take seriously for a long time, I would never change anything about how my life was when I was growing up. My small town gave me something no city person will ever have. I will always have an entire district by my side. The support and kindness I receive every day from those who live here with me will still be worth the preconceived perceptions others will form of me. Even though most people wouldn't.