My hometown is Atwater/Merced, located in the Central Valley. I have lived there my entire life, which is about 18 years, until I moved to Chico to attend college. Atwater is a very small town yet very spread out. Chico and Atwater are very similar, however, Atwater’s population is not as dense. Something about Atwater that is very special is that it borders Merced, which is another smaller community, so both towns are considered to be one area. Both of my parents were born and raised in Atwater or Merced so everytime I go somewhere I run into someone that grew up with my parents. My mom is from Atwater so she is very familiar with everyone. My dad was raised in Merced, so he has the same level of familiarity with everyone except in another area. They both grew up with the same people but never met until their early twenties. My favorite part about Atwater is that everybody knows each other. However, my least favorite part is that because it is such a tight-knit community you can not get away with anything. You can not find a community like Atwaters’ anywhere else. I would like to move back after I finish college but the economy in Atwater is not the best. After living in Chico, I realized that I would never be able to recreate the memories and relationships that I have back home. Everyone that has been in my life, I have known since birth or preschool. I am thankful that I did move away because it has opened up the way that I think and view things in everyday life.
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Piper I 