I Was Born in Hannibal, Missouri – 5 Things Still Make it Home

You're kindly reading something that is very rare - something about me. I don't do it often because I frankly don't find myself that interesting, but the truth is this is really about my birthplace of Hannibal. There are still 5 things that remain that still make it feel like home.

I won't share the year, but I was born in Hannibal, Missouri a very long time ago. (Editor's Note: understatement of the year) Let's be frank and admit that there is much about Hannibal that has changed. The town has a different vibe than when I was a kid and that's to be expected. This just in. I'm not a fan of change. I like things the way they used to be, but I'll restrain myself from being the old man on the porch complaining about the 'good ole days'.

Instead, let's focus on 5 things that still make Hannibal feel like the hometown I grew up in.

1. Riverview Park

I have spent so much of my life in Riverview Park in Hannibal that I couldn't begin to count the number of times I've been there. During my high school years, it was my sanctuary to go sit on one of the overlooks over the Mississippi River and think through things. Now, it's a somewhat frequent hiking trail for my family when we road trip to Hannibal. It's the one place in Hannibal that hasn't changed much and I love that. If anything, it might be even better now.

2. The Lighthouse

There are few things in Hannibal that are more iconic than the lighthouse. There is one funny (to me) change between the lighthouse when I was a kid and the lighthouse in Hannibal now. When I was a kid, going up the stairs to visit it was nothing. Now, it feels like I'm running a triathlon to get to the top. I feel like Rocky Balboa training for Drago.

3. Downtown

Downtown Hannibal has always had a charm to it and that hasn't changed over the years since I was born there. Yes, businesses have come and gone but the general feel of downtown Hannibal has remained a constant. If you go to the Folklife Festival in the Fall, you know what I mean. Please don't let that ever change.

4. The Mississippi River

Is the Mississippi River dirty with who knows how many chemicals in it now? Sure. Do I still find peace staring at those waters meandering by? Absolutely. I remember when National Tom Sawyer Days used to have the raft races in the river. Thanks to lawyers and insurance companies, that went away for understandable reasons. However, the Mississippi River is more or less the same as it ever was.

5. The People

When my career took me out west for a few years, the number one thing I missed while I was away from Hannibal was the people. So many family and friends that still call it home were the void in my life. I learned the hard way that when you leave, you don't really ever get to come home because those close to you get used to not having you in their lives. Still, when I think of Hannibal often, it's always the people I love and care for that come to mind first.