Beavercreek, OH

When people talk about hometowns, I get the privilege of saying that my hometown is the suburbs of Beavercreek, OH. Growing up in the midwest is an experience that is a league of its own. After living in the PNW and out west and even in a large city, I would not change where I grew up. I say this knowing full well I am a man that admires and loves the mountains, that takes the mountain views as a necessity. Now you ask “Why is this Parker? What does growing up in Ohio have to offer? Don’t you say that one of the reasons you can’t live there right now is because your sense of adventure pulls you elsewhere?”. These are valid questions, and in this homage to my homeland will hopefully help to answer these questions. Growing up in suburban Ohio I think gave me one of the most idealistic childhoods and high school experiences a child could ask for. Between the four seasons, the good people, and the downright great community I don’t know where to start. I guess I will just begin. Beavercreek, Ohio is around the southwestern part of the state. You don’t Lake Erie close to have water sports, you don’t have the portion of Appalachia that the south east has, you just have each other. Maybe this point hits extra hard for me being home-schooled till high school (you probably said “that explains a lot” I hear that all the time). I feel like not having an easily available outlet for a lot of the extreme or rugged outdoor sports is what gave growing up there its charm. Summer nights were spent playing sports, at parks with friends, or settling in with the family to watch a movie to end the day. Ohio gets four seasons, like actual seasons. Springs are wet, but produce some of the best flowers. Summers are hot, sunny, and filled with tons of cool summer evenings. Fall produces some of the best foliage and feelings of comfort I can’t even explain. Lastly, the Winters are cold and long and dreary, but help to build your character and give you appreciation for the community that surrounds you. Some of my best friendships come from Beavercreek, Ohio, and my high school years bring back feelings of being seen while I was searching for myself (still am and grow every day). I think growing up here also helped to instill an appreciation for the natural world that I bring with me wherever I live or visit. I did not take the PNW beauty for granted, or the bright lights of Chicago, and I certainly do not and will not get used to the sights of the Rockies from where I am in Denver. I think no matter where I go, where I live, Beavercreek will always feel like a home when I am back. I will probably ad more to this, such as the outlet malls, ice cream shops, or local parks to visit or try, but for now I wanted to write a small piece for the town that has a small piece of my heart.