Martin

Never in my life did I think I would live a month in the small town of Martin, Tennessee.

Life will surprise you, because I just did.

The town of Martin is located in West Tennessee.
2 hours from Memphis.
1 hour from Jackson.
6 miles from the Kentucky State Line.

 It has 11 stop lights total (this includes caution lights), and the landscape of the town is mostly fields of corn and soy beans. It is also home to the annual "Tennessee Soybean Festival".

I arrived in this precious town after a two hour road trip from Memphis, and quickly got to work with the chapter at The University of Tennessee at Martin.

The funny thing about each place I visit is that there are always the same characters in each chapter. I can always pinpoint them...

• There is always the hilarious storyteller-who manages to take a two minute story and expand it into a 15 minute one (but you hang on to every word, and get an ab workout because it is so funny).
• There is always the hard worker. The girl who volunteers for everything. She is the first one there in the morning and the last one to leave.
• The girl who knows all the gossip.
• The sentimental senior.
• The overly excited new member.
• The "Little Miss Sunshine", who you just want to take with you every where you go because her soul just warms you.

As different as each place is, there are always these people. In a way, it helps me. 

It helps me feel like each place is connected. 

It helps me see that this organization I work for continues to seek women with the same values and dreams.

The chapter of UT Martin, found a special place in my heart. 

The first week I was there, they invited me to meet their parents, their grandparents, to come home for family dinners and attend church with them. 

They were genuinely interested in showing me what they call "home" and what they value in life.

It helped me to understand them. 

They taught me about small town life and my southern accent grew tremendously. 

I learned what "back-roading" and "crop-dusting" are.

That judging cattle takes extreme skill and that "rope-pull" is something out of the Hunger Games.

And I giggled every time I saw a tractor driving on the street.

Brittany took me horseback riding!

I ate a fig from Kelsey's backyard.

I saw two monkeys? How that happened I still have no idea...

And I got to see what the Tennessee Soybean Festival was all about.

These girls learned all about me.

They knew, but did not accept my love for Alabama football. Roll Tide!

They mastered the art of the "Hannah" scream.

They learned about my family.

They learned about my friends.

I felt connected here. I loved them and I felt loved in return.

I guess when you spend a month with people, you are bound to connect. And I am so thankful for the month that I spent here.

Things I learned, or am learning:

• Still learning how to communicate effectively
• I've gotten better at balancing my life and their life.
• I have become an animal person...maybe?
• People in small towns have the biggest hearts.

Well, here we go. I'm departin' from UT Martin.