Marissa and I moved to the Taylorsville area from much larger cities around 2003. It was a pleasant change of pace and we couldn’t believe that some small towns like Taylorsville had remained mostly unchanged and still holding onto their original charm. It reminded us of many of the old family tv shows from the 50s and 60s. Paige attended a small public elementary school where the Principal opened the doors to let every child out of their cars and in the afternoon opened the car doors putting them back in. He knew every child and parent and made an effort to speak with them all. It was a great experience and an awesome school.
We lived nearby on our first farm and loved the lifestyle. The neighbors were very friendly and looked out for each other. It was like living in a subdivision but with really large lots! Hobby farms are typically a house, a barn and 5 to 10 acres. They are very popular for people moving here from other areas and we loved it. Tractors, ATVs and lots of animals. Paige had several dogs and cats, rabbits, a pony, miniature donkey and 2 small goats. She was pretty much in heaven. Her city cousins would visit and just couldn’t believe how well she cared for the animals and how comfortable she was scouting around in the surrounding woods. She had plenty of friends visiting but even on her own she had her constant animal companions. It was pretty awesome.
High school was a good experience as well. There is only one large high school in the county and practically the whole town attends Friday night football games. Most of the students have known each other since they were very young so there were no difficult adjustments. They have played ball and run track together forever so they made up some pretty competitive teams in high school. The girls’ softball team alone has won like 10 State Championships and many players have been recruited by large universities. Taylorsville is the kind of place where if you make the effort, you will get to know a lot of people in your community from all walks of life. Teachers, ministers, students and businesspeople are all more than willing to go out of their way to help a neighbor. We have certainly been blessed during our time here to have had the help and support of the community in so many ways.
Marissa is an accomplished runner and that rubbed off on Paige who enjoyed running track and cross country all through middle and high school. Paige loves music and played in the band for most of those years as well. She explored several college options but her childhood sense of adventure drew her at an early age to the idea of attending a service academy and then serving in the military. She enjoyed participating in the high schools’ JROTC program which gave her a better idea of what was involved and what it would take to follow that military path. Paige’s first choice for college was the US Military Academy at West Point and with the help of many teachers and mentors from our small community she was able to accomplish that goal. She is currently a West Point Cadet and should graduate in 2022.
Marissa and I have loved Alexander County. It is a wonderful place to live and for children to grow up. If you are looking for a beautiful spot to settle we would encourage you to explore all that this area has to offer.