Rural, backwoods, and middle of nowhere are all words and phrases that could be used to define the place where I grew up. I live in a county populated with about 7,148 people. By living here, I have had opportunities like having unconventional summer jobs and having the forest as a primary source of activities. Living in such an isolated and small community has taught me many things, but overall, it has shown me that if you want to be successful, you have to work tirelessly to earn your achievements. I am lucky to have grown up in a place like Grant County. One opportunity I have had that many people may never experience is the type of work I have been able to do in the summertime. While many people throughout high school may work in stores or restaurants in their high school years, I have worked on ranches. I quickly learned that there are no shortcuts. I worked for a ranch in Seneca, Oregon, the summer after my freshman year. During that summer, I learned a lot about building and maintaining a fence and what happens when you don't do it right. One area where we worked was about half an hour to 45 minutes from the ranch's headquarters. Being only fifteen and somewhat dumb, my friend and I tried to come back for lunch and paid dearly for it. When we returned to the shop, we were greeted by an angry boss who reprimanded us for unnecessarily coming back. There were many other times like this throughout the summer when we had lapses of judgment, and they were learning lessons. These mishaps helped me to understand the importance of working hard and doing things right. Those principles live in my mind and are applied to everything I do, so when something is complete, I know I did it the way it should be done. Another aspect of small-town life I am grateful for is the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time in the forest. I enjoy hiking, hunting, and many other outdoor activities. Throughout my youth, I have done much horn-hunting and hunting for both large and small game. When the snow melted in the spring, my friends and I would spend a lot of time in the woods looking for dropped sheds of deer and elk, usually traveling many miles in the process. In the fall, I would do the same with my family; only we would hunt deer, elk, and bear. These activities are very time-consuming and physically taxing, but they are also some of the most fun things I can remember doing. Experiences like these have also shown me that working for things will pay off, can be fun, and create stronger bonds with those you share them with. Communities like mine are unique because they teach young people things about the world that many people in our country may learn later in life or never. They ingrain a sense of love for what we have and an ambition to obtain what we don't have through work and dedication. Places like this give youth a greater appreciation for both work and the reward that results from it. Moving into the next phase of my life, I have one goal that outshines the rest: Make everything I do something I can be proud of.