What it Means to Grow Up in the Avon Hills

Hi! My name is Kenzie. I am twelve years old and I've grown up in the Avon Hills, which I believe has shaped my life. Just riding to school on the old dirt roads and watching the seasons change in the surrounding woods has always had some effect on me. I love living in the woods. I love seeing deer in the morning right after I've woken up and watching the sun come up over the tops of the awaiting trees. Morning has always been one of my favorite times of the day, watching everything wake up over the long sleepy night. A lot of people say that they aren't morning people. But I believe that if you live in the Avon Hills, that is when everything is most beautiful.

Fall and winter would have to be my two favorite seasons. I believe that if you want to see someplace magical, you should drive along Schuman Lake Road in the fall. The leaves are changing colors and falling onto the road, welcoming you into the hills. Now if you want to believe that anything is possible, you should go take a hike in the woods, in the winter, as the snow falls. Catching snowflakes on your tongue will make you smile. Looking up at the tops of the majestic trees as you make a snow angel makes you keep a special place in  your heart for the hills.

Now when I grow up and move away, I will always keep a special place in my heart for this place because this is what puts a smile on my face and what made me learn to love and accept the simple things in life. Life has many "hills", but I have learned how to move past them because I grew up in them. This has shaped my life.