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Why Moving Home to Laurel After College Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me

Laurel is a vibrant, growing city, where small businesses and groups of regular people, who love to dream, have bonded together in the spirit of community and are dedicated to restoring Laurel to her original glory. But around five years ago, our Home Town was a lot different.

If you would’ve asked me what I wanted to be when I graduated from high school or college, I would have said, “Anything! Just don’t make me move back to Laurel.”

I yearned for the bright, crowded streets of New York, bursting with opportunity for young talent; the willow-lined paths of Charleston, full of sweet tea and social charm or any city with a Chili’s and a Super Target. “Get me out of this hometown box of torture” is probably something I’d be caught saying in the Sonic parking lot on a Friday night.

A little dramatic, you think? Absolutely.

It’s a belief that infests teenagers and college students. That if you don’t run away as fast as you can from your hometown, you’ll never leave it or be successful.

There is some truth to the stigma that small towns don’t offer many opportunities for creatives or fast-paced millennials that hold infinite information at their fingertips. Everyone has experienced or knows someone with a negative connotation of small-town life, no matter where your roots may lie. But we have the ability to change that.

In Laurel’s case, the main obstacle was showing other people how much she had to offer instead of focusing on how much she lacked. As Erin Napier says, “Laurel’s like the pretty girl who doesn’t know she’s pretty.”

I’m here to confess to the world that moving back to my home town after college was the best thing that has ever happened to me and here’s why.

1. I’ve had the chance to recreate what #iliveinlaurel means to me.

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Hidden gems on the ride home 🌈 #iliveinlaurel #HappySunday

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2. It all begins with perspective …

And finding the beauty in what it’s front of you. No matter where you are – big city or small town.

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Sprang #iliveinlaurel

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3. It’s affordable to live here as a young adult, which is super important.

I can live in a comfortable house and enjoy dining out with my friends on a regular basis.

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on this season of New Girl

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finally, a shop with my name on it :)

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4. There are creatives and inspiration at every turn.

5. It’s not hard to build a side-hustle.

Stores across downtown offer young and experienced artists a place to showcase their work and locals are beyond supportive of the arts in Laurel.

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Every morning is a chance to bloom again #HappyThursday 💕

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6. There are a plethora of professional and personal mentors that genuinely care about your well-being and growth.

Community is a really important thing here.

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WE REALLY LOVE #SCARVES #ladieswholunch #interns

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7. Most importantly, my hometown is open-minded.

She stands with open arms for the opportunity to grow from its people’s ideas and values.

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keep Laurel kind 💛 #iliveinlaurel #prettycity

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My favorite piece of advice came from one of my friends, Kaypounyers Maye at the University of Mississippi days before graduation. He told me, “The best part about leaving the place you love, is being able to come back and share everything you’ve learned while you were away.”

While I had moved away from Laurel for a couple of years, learned so much about myself and felt growth like I’d never known before… Laurel did too.

Every time I came home, a new business had popped up, or a mural had been painted.
People would talk about it and become excited. Then HGTV Home Town happened, and the rest is history.

Although this didn’t start with me, I’m choosing to dive in deep now. I want to disprove the stereotype about those who come home because they couldn’t make it in the real world.

I came home because my hometown offered me the entire world and something even better – a place to grow and try new things. I’m working every day to live a life and create the reality I’ve always dreamed of in the place that raised me. I’m choosing to give back to the city and its people that have given me so much.

Don’t get me wrong, I still wish Laurel had a Super Target. Except now I know it’s not the size of the town that makes a place home or fertile with opportunity. It’s the people that help her grow strong and the life they bring back to her once they leave.

Laurel isn’t done growing and thankfully, neither am I.

Casting for HGTV Home Town

Do you want to be on HGTV’s Home Town?

Casting HGTV Home TownAre you thinking about moving to Laurel? You could be cast on Home Town, get to know Ben & Erin, and – most importantly – get to call our sweet small-town home!

Just for you, we reached out to our friends at HGTV and RTR Media to give you all of the inside info about what it takes to be on the show! Here’s what they had to say:

How to apply to be cast on HGTV’s Home Town

“When it comes to applying to be on Home Town, be prepared to sell yourself! We’re looking for outgoing characters who love to tell a good story and are passionate about wanting to live in Laurel.

The process is pretty simple if you’re interested in being on the show – just send an email to hometowncasting@rtrmedia.com. That’s it! Well… not really, but it’s a darn good start.”

What HGTV needs to know about you:

“In the email, we’d love to know a little about yourself, your family and why you’re moving to Laurel. We’d also like to know if you’ve recently bought a house, or have your eye on one or don’t know where to start and need some help. We are looking for homes of all types, shapes, and sizes in Laurel and require that you have a renovation budget that fits the needs of your new home. Let us know what you’re looking for in your new home!”

The Home Town casting process:

“If your story sounds like a good fit, we’ll have you fill out an application form, and that’s when the excitement really begins. Since every situation is different, it could be the casting process takes 6 weeks or it could be 6 months. The amount of time depends on many factors and we’ll work those out together. For that reason, we encourage everyone to reach out and let us know the who, what and whens of their move to Laurel.”

Apply to be on Home Town today!

Send an email right now to hometowncasting@rtrmedia.com to see if you might be a good fit for Home Town!

Be sure to include:

  1. Your story – tell them all about yourselves!
  2. Why are you moving to Laurel?
  3. Are you looking for a Laurel home, or recently purchased one?
  4. Do you have a budget for the renovations your home needs/may need?

Want to find out more about what it’s like to say “I Live in Laurel?” Click here to see some of our favorite parts of our very own hometown!

Laurel Mercantile Co.

A tour of Laurel Mercantile & our favorite home town finds!

Laurel Mercantile Co. owned by Ben and Erin Napier and their four closest friends, AKA “framily,” is the tourism hot spot in Downtown Laurel.

Whether it’s the first place you stop or the high point of your trip, we know that the “Merc” is sure to be on your list of places to visit.

Join us for a video tour of their store and a few of the locals’ favorite finds! Click below to watch now and be sure to sign up for updates!

A few our our Laurel Mercantile favorites!

Follow Laurel Mercantile Co.

Visit Laurel Mercantile Co.

Heirloom wares and durable goods for home and life curated and owned by the cast of HGTV’s Home Town.

Hours:

Monday-Saturday: 10:00-6:00pm
Sunday: 12:30-3:00pm

Location

414 Front Street
Laurel, MS 39440