it's where i live. {influence link up}

today i'm linking up with the lovely ladies of the influence network to share a little bit about where i live!

 

in the fall of 1991 i was an 8th grader at wilde lake middle school in columbia, md.  

one day when i came home from school, my parents informed me that we would be moving shortly to hanover, pennsylvania.  

in that moment, in my 12 year old mind, my world came crashing down around me. 

hanover was not unfamiliar to me, as the majority of my mom's side of the family lived there.

i had visited hanover many, many times.

to me, it was a great place to visit, but definitely not a place that my family should live.

nevertheless, that october, we made the move.  

in my dad's words, moving to hanover was a lot like stepping into a black and white movie. 

it was NOTHING like where i was from!

i experienced a good dose of culture shock and from then on i looked forward to the day that i would move away to go to college and then some big city, 

only to return to celebrate holidays with my family.

there was no way i would be settling down & calling this place my home. 

fast forward twenty some years.....

want to guess where i live now?

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isn't it funny how things like that work out?

i did go away to college {though only 45 minutes away}, and i did move to philly for about 3 years. however, when i got laid off from my job, i ended up coming back home.  

i thought maybe this move might be temporary, but that move was 10 years ago this summer.  

i never thought i would say it, but this little town has grown on me and i've come to love living here.

my fondest memories of living here would have to be all the time i got to spend with my cousins and extended family. in high school if i wasn't hanging out with my friends from youth group, you could probably find me at my cousins' house rubbing my craziness off on her daughters. 

just the other day my husband and i were in maryland to get his computer fixed, and we commented on how we much we appreciated our life in hanover. 

{again, never thought i would say that!}

we move at a much slower pace.

i feel safe here. 

{i try to steer clear of walmart because it can be a little scary there, but....}

i'm totally ok with leaving our car doors unlocked and sometimes even our house. 

i can drive almost anywhere in town and pass someone that i know.

i have 5 families of relatives that live within 2 square miles of my house, including my parents. 

it's true that there is not a whole lot to do here, but compared to other places i've lived, life just seems a little simpler here.

and i've come to enjoy this.

this little town certainly has is flaws, but the Lord has given us a heart for this town.

i believe we are here at this time for a purpose.

i believe we are here for such a time as this. 

{and to be perfectly honest, as long as my parents are here, it's going to take a miracle for me to leave!}

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 i really wanted to share some "fun facts" about hanover, but really the most interesting thing you should know is this:

 Hanover is known as the snack food capital of the US. 

We are home to at least 6 chip/pretzel companies. 

maybe you've heard of these?

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oh and only in hanover would you find this:

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3 "hot weiner" shops within a few miles of each other.

so, if you're ever in the area, stop by, we can grab some chips and a hotdog, and i'll show you around!