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Zoe
It’s a Saturday afternoon in late June and I’m soaking up every second of summer vacation. Living with my family, seeing my best friend every day, and being free of responsibility? This is the last time in my life I’ll ever have this privilege.
Sure, I still have another year of high school left, but I’ll be bogged down with immensely important decisions such as: where do I go to school? What do I major in? Do I live in the dorms or commute? Maybe I’ll take a year off to travel and get to know myself. It’s a lot to think about and to help speed up the process, my parents even sent me off to New York recently in the hopes that I’d feel inspired while visiting schools. But to their chagrin, I didn’t set foot on a single campus. Instead, I spent my time flirting, talking with boys, and generally getting up to no good.
But today, I’m putting all that out of my head. I’m eighteen, fancy-free, and soaking up the last of my time as a teen girl on the cusp of adulthood. Music plays on Spotify as I cruise the winding road to my friend Patty’s place. I know this route like the back of my hand as I’ve taken it hundreds of times. I would even walk the four-mile journey before I got my license, so I can probably manage it with my eyes closed at this point.
What am I in the mood for? I think to myself, reading the names of various artists that pop up. The Stones, MGMT, Zeppelin? Oh yeah, Foster the People. Of course. It feels like a ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ kind of day.
I turn up the volume and roll down the windows. The breeze ruffles my hair as I zip forward, singing along with the radio.
“All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you better run better run…” Thankfully I’m driving fast enough that people in passing cars can’t hear me belting out the tune. They’d probably cover their ears with horror, but I don’t care. I smile to myself, enjoying the feel of the warm weather and sunshine on the backs of my arms.
It’s a beautiful day. The sun is out in Great Falls, Michigan and the view from Shoreline Drive is looking as beautiful as ever. To my right I can see the seemingly endless expanse of water beyond the bluffs; to my left are happy folks mingling in front of the coffee shop and the attached all-hours diner that marks the beginning of the main strip downtown.
I know teenagers are supposed to loathe their hometowns because it’s just what we’re supposed to do. Being stuck at home is supposed to make life feel like one big drag and lead us to dream of better times and places. But I honestly love Great Falls. It’s about as close to Cali-living as you’re going to get in the Midwest, and I appreciate that. I adore warm weather and a laid-back attitude and maybe I’ll move to California one day, but for now, my hometown hits the spot.
I think a lot of people agree because most folks who grow up here settle right in after high school and never end up leaving. This has created a tight knit community, making it the kind of place where everyone is familiar with everyone else. Especially me, considering my mom is the town’s hairdresser. She does all the women’s cuts and styles at a salon my dad built for her. It’s quite cunning. My dad remodeled the spare room at our house so that my mom can see customers without leaving me with a babysitter. That way, she could be both a mom and a professional, and have the best of both worlds.
Plus, seeing as my room shares a wall with the salon, I get premium access to all the town’s juicy gossip. Not to mention, first dibs on all the sweets and goodies the women bring as gifts for the household, although my dad sometimes gobbles them up before I can get a chance. I’ll have to talk with him about that. No one should be eating that much candy and my dad is starting to get up there in age.
But beyond our hospitable and friendly culture, my hometown is wonderfully scenic. It sits right on the rocky shores of the great Lake Michigan and is bordered on the east side by large oak forests with rushing rivers, some of which topple over into roaring waterfalls. I have spent many hours sitting in said woods with sketchbook in hand. For the nature enthusiast, the artist, the thinker, and people who enjoy the simpler things in life, Great Falls is a terrific place to live.
I turn off Shoreline Drive and make my way into the first driveway on Apple Blossom Road. A sudden shiver of nervousness mixed with excitement runs up my spine when I spot a big black motorcycle in the driveway. Dane must be here. He’s Patty’s gorgeous older brother. He moved to an apartment downtown a couple years ago, and I haven’t seen him around in a long time.
