I was born in cold, icy, dreary New York. This was especially the case on my birthday, December 29th, 1996. From birth to 12 years of age, I lived in New York. I guess you can say that since I lived in the north for 12 years, that I'm an average northerner who doesn't know the difference between a duck and a chicken, doesn't own a gun, and has never been hunting. And although all that may be true, I have always been a country girl at heart.
My mom has loved country music her whole life. So, I listened to country music in the car all the time. So, maybe that's why I can't stand rap, rock, pop, hip hop, or any other music genre besides country. Country music touches my heart in so many ways. Because of my mom, I will forever love country music.
You would think that because of my love for country music and country stuff that when my mom said we were moving to Arkansas, I would have been ecstatic. But that certainly wasn't the case. Arkansas did not seem appealing to me at all. That's until I fell in love with Carlisle, AR. At first, I really missed my old friends and the fast paced New York life, but then Carlisle grew on me in so many ways.
I had to get accustomed to not just Carlisle's, but all of Arkansas's obsession with football. I had come from a school where lacrosse was the most popular sport, and the football team had a really bad year, every year. At the football games in Carlisle, the whole town was there supporting their team. The pep rallies were the craziest thing I had ever seen, and they were also really fun, especially because we got to miss the last 20 minutes of school every Friday, just to go to it. The football players rode their four-wheelers to bon fires, which were held the night before games, just so everyone could get pumped up and excited for the game the next day. In a song by Kenny Chesney, he states "In small towns like mine, that's all they got. Newspaper clippins' fill the coffee shops." This is especially true for the little town of Carlisle.
When I moved to Arkansas, I was completely miserable. I prayed and prayed that maybe something could change my mom's mind to move. But despite everything, my prayer was left unanswered. Now, almost 3 years later, I am the happiest girl in the world the world that we did move to Arkansas. Maybe, if I hadn't moved to Arkansas, my life wouldn't be how it is now. Maybe I wouldn't have my little sister. Maybe I wouldn't have truly understood how huge high school football is in small southern towns. Maybe I wouldn't have liked the Razorbacks as much as I do now. Maybe if I hadn't moved here, religion wouldn't be as important to me as it is now. Maybe someday in the future, the move from New York to Arkansas, will have affected my life even more than I can imagine. You never know when things seem to be going worst in your life, how they may turn out for the best in the future. Like Garth Brooks says, "Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers. Remember when you're talking to the man upstairs, that just because He doesn't answer, doesn't mean He don't care, some of God's greatest gifts, are unanswered prayers."
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
