Where you live is, obviously, a huge part of your life.

Opportunities, communities, lifestyle, friends, family. Everything.

Some of us might not even think about where we live, but some of us might think too much about it, in good or bad ways alike.

I wanted to know what our students here at Pasco High think about living here, so I asked a few of their opinions.

Student #1: I enjoy living here. It’s a great place and I enjoy the city setting. Seeing it grow to meet everyone’s needs is great as there will be a new experience for everyone.

Student #2: I love living here, and I plan on living here when I’m older too, as long as it does not urbanize too much. I believe it is a good size, not too rural or too urban. There are also good job opportunities for the career field I am interested in, which is perfect because as I mentioned before, I love it here.

Student #3: No, I do not like living here. I feel as if I don’t feel I belong here. I grew up outside of the Tri-Cities & there’s so much out there for me to see & I feel like the Tri-Cities limit my opportunities & whatnot. Otherwise, I have been here for a while, so I will always consider this place my home.

Student #4: I do not like it here just because I feel like I’ve done everything there is to do here and I want to experience something fresh and new. I have always had a fantasy of living in a big city with many people and new adventures, so it seems sorta planned out for me, but that is just me. I have met other people who say they adore it here, and I can see why.

Student #5: Honestly, I like living here! I not only have my friends, but all of my family is here, many of them immigrated from Mexico to settle here. I think there is a place for everyone here, and I love the fact that Kennewick, Richland, and Pasco co-exist the way they do, its awesome.

Those were some of the opinions I got, as we can see, it is divided. But now, I’d like to share my opinion.

I love living here. I see opportunities for everyone here, you just have to look hard enough. For me, I have a lot of family here, many who immigrated from Mexico, and I have my friends, both connections that a person needs in their life. In another aspect, I think it is a very scenic place here. The hills combined with the endless fields and 3 rivers bisecting right through the cities make it very picturesque. I honestly think that if I lived in an uglier place with no scenic beauty like we have, it would be very depressing.

So you might be asking yourself: “Why care about all of this?”

The answer is simple; having a positive attitude towards where you live can greatly impact you and your community. Especially things such as your schools, your family, your churches… and many more. When you look for the good about the things about where you live, not only do you feel more grateful, but you can also spread it with other people, making other people feel good about where they live. That also has a positive impact on your community and can help with many other things such as motivation, tourism, and opportunities.

When we learn and talk about our home in a way that proudly shows its opportunities and beauty, we can make it a better community for everybody.