There’s something shameful about being a “townie” when you’re going to college. It means that you grew up in the town that your university is in. It means that – unlike most of your schoolmates – you haven’t pulled up roots.

It’s been six years since I moved away from Kent. I grew up there, and lived there for 26 years before moving away to another country. If destiny had played out differently, I could see myself still living there. It’s a place with depth, history, a culture all its own, and interesting things around every corner. On stressful days I picture myself strolling along the shore of Plum Creek, or watching the squirrels on Front Campus.

I may have been a “townie,” but I still love the place deeply, and I’m proud of where I came from. Worth visiting… indeed.