Is This Where I Belong?

Who am I? Where do I belong? There will never be an exact answer to such questions, but I know that Montana is my home, the western part of the state at least. Each town traveled to is surrounded by mountains, different ranges of the large expanse of the Rocky Mountains.
I grew up in Helena, Montana, and there is no town I would have rather lived. My life is here-my family, friends, my home, the land, and all my familiar surroundings; a place that no matter how much it changes, I will always come back to and have my memories from being raised here. And though my friends will come and go and move back and forth between different places and states, I will always remember that we all grew up here and are connected by Helena, Montana.
Attending elementary school, middle school, and high school in Helena and moving from school to school with the same group of people brings many relationships that will never be lost. It feels like you pretty much know everyone and everything about everyone. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Though Helena is not nearly one of the smallest towns in Montana, it is small enough that people know you and people seem to be connected or related in the oddest ways. Word gets around. If you get into trouble in some way, expect others to find out about it. Yet Helena is just big enough that maybe not the entire town will find out about your trouble, but only half the town. And every day Helena is growing and developing, just like many of the cities in Montana. We are so lucky to have the land we do. People are moving here to get out of the big, busy cities and enjoy some of the peace and quiet that can be found in this vast landscape. Yet it is sad to see so many changes and to realize that nothing can ever stay the same.
So I ask myself though, is this where I do belong? And my answer is yes. I stayed in Montana for college because I love the state so much. I am used to its surroundings and towns, my family is close, and this is where I want to be. No matter where I move to or travel to for periods of time, or whom I’m with, I know that I will always come back to the only place I want to call my home.