Assignment #3-Emma Shadwick- Trips to Eastern Kentucky

My moms entire side of the family is from a tiny town so far East it is almost in West Virginia. It is called Inez, population 650. My mom and her three other siblings all got out of Inez, but my grandmother and grandfather still call it home. My mom, aunts, uncles, and grandparents are very proud of this part of their heritage. When I was little, I would take fairly recent trips to Inez to visit my grandparents. Probably about once a month. Now that I am older the trips are less frequent but I probably get to go an average of twice or three times a year, if I’m lucky. I thought it was the best place ever as a child, and I still do. What I learned from visiting Inez is that there is a very different world outside of the little bubble I live in. One of the things my mom likes to do when she is in Inez is take my sisters and me back in the hollers she grew up surrounded by. Today, my grandparents live in town, but when my mom was growing up they lived in the “boonies” outside of town. As we drive on these curvy roads, I am always shocked by how little these people have. Some of the houses are little more than shacks, surrounded by junk and old cars. When I was little, it really changed my perspective and every time I go back there I am reminded of how blessed I am. My mother worked very hard from growing up with very little to make sure all my sisters and my needs are met. Truly not a day goes by that I am not amazed by how hardworking my mother is and how proud she is of her eastern Kentucky heritage. These humbling experiences to the hollers have all contributed to my love for giving back because I am aware of how profoundly blessed I really am.