Finding Small Town America

This picture was taken in Keaton Beach Florida. Even with all the devastation from Hurricane Helene, this small town made sure the American Flag still waved proudly.

In May of 2024 I was retiring after 30 years in the classroom, well sort of. I was retiring from the state, but returning to the classroom in August. But at this moment in time, mentally I began questioning things about my life and what the meaning of my existence was. Was I just a parent, wife, teacher or was there more.

Going through my mind were thoughts of family members I had learned about and had never met. Family members I had not seen in years. I felt a strong need to find my roots and to discover who I was. These thoughts took me on a journey across country where I was able to answer many questions that had lingered in my mind and allowed me to sort through many thoughts and to learn more about who I was.

But where did the idea of “Finding Small Town America” come into play. On this journey I wanted to find and see more than the vast amount of ashphalt that connects major cities together and are well traveled. I wanted to see and experience America, so I took the back roads. I needed to know what was beyond those walls on each side of the freeway. Having been born and then raised in what was originally a small town, I wanted to see if that small town feeling still existed. I felt like I had lost that small town feeling from my soul, maybe this was what I was searching for. But my quest for small town america gave me more than I could ever imagine. And this is where my journey begins…….