Growing up, I hated living in the suburbs of Michigan, where time never seemed to pass in my hometown and my own life was just as motionless. The joke that all there was to do was go to Meijer and loiter in the parking lot was less funny than it was my drab reality. The most popular spot in our city was the top level of a parking garage, where people would do an assortment of things, the next one seemingly more boring than the last. I remember laughing while watching a friend group stand around in a circle and lifelessly bump around a volleyball, wondering how that could possibly be enjoyable. I spent so much time in high school wishing I was in a big city exploring a multitude of activities and meeting various types of people.
Now that I’m in college and have the time to reflect on my days in that city, I’ve finally come to find all the charm that it holds. Maybe it’s coupled with adolescent nostalgia, but the simplicity of growing up in an immobilized town is unlike anything I was able to experience in a bigger city. What I used to think was exceedingly monotonous was now endlessly endearing, a perfect representation of an indie-folk song. Despite all of my past criticisms, thethat top level of thatthe parking garage held some of my fondest memories, no matter how plain they were. There was nothing more relaxing than sitting on the roof of my car, listening to music, and watching the sunset. My most enriching memories were driving around aimlessly with my friends with the sunroof down, climbing the roof of our high school, and running around playgrounds in the middle of the night.
Compared to my summer in New York, where things were fast-paced and ever-changing, life in my hometown was even more mundane if that was possible. With the rapid atmosphere of city life, my days were filled with liveliness and socialization. There was no use for cars with the subway system, not to mention everything iswas so compact that all that was necessary was the ability to walk. The vast expanse of Michigan felt even emptier when I went home, driving past the few shops littered around the road.
Even though I loved the bustling climate of New York, the nostalgia and simplicity of Michigan suburbs holds a place so dear in my heart. Even after all I say about wanting to escape Michigan, when it comes down to it, I’m not sure it would be so easy to leave here after college.