I never imagined finding myself on a journey to finding a home in Central Mass after living in the city, but here is our journey to finding our home. You may or may not know this, but I am not originally from Massachusetts. I grew up in Texas, moved to South Dakota as a teen, and went to college in Nebraska. During my childhood, we moved what felt like every 2-3 years. Moving from town to town and changing schools helped shape a part of me into who I am today. I love meeting new people, and I don’t mind change so I can easily adapt. So when I moved here in my early twenties, I had never been to the east coast, I knew no one, but I could not wait to start the adventure of a lifetime.
Almost immediately I knew after moving here that Massachusetts felt like home to me.
Several years after moving here I meet my husband. He had the complete opposite childhood experience I did. He grew up in a small Central Mass town, went to college locally, and stayed relatively close, living in Boston. The stories he’d tell me about growing up in his small town were something out of a storybook or Hallmark movie. I was in love both with him and the idea of raising a family in a similar community that he had been raised in. Fast forward several more years, and my son was born. At the time we were living in South Boston in a 3-story walkup. We loved living in the city, but we knew it was time to find a place with more room to grow when our son started walking.
We weren’t exactly sure where or what we were looking for.
Long story short, our search began heading west, it was much farther west than I expected, but we ended up in Grafton. It was back to my husband’s roots, near family, friends, and a welcoming community. Surprisingly, many people around the community grew up in this town, left for a short time, and returned to raise their families. To me, finding a home was more than just finding a house. Finding a home was about finding the right neighborhood within a community. A place where we could foster social connections, not only for us but for our son, feel supported within our network, and collaborate among people who would share commonalities. That place for us is Grafton.
Families and people are the foundation of any great community.
I can’t say enough good things about the people of Grafton. We have met so many wonderful families through my son’s town sports teams, the school system (shout-out to my teacher friends), and our incredible neighborhood. A neighborhood filled with great families. My son can run out the back door in the morning and play outside all day. I love hearing the laughter and giggles of the crew of kids playing outside even into the evening as the sun sets.
The center of town is a picturesque New England scene.
The Grafton Historic District not only has a collection of unique small businesses, but the bandstand and oval green space also host community events throughout the year. Town activities such as the local Farmer’s Market and Grafton’s Concert Series are both held in the summer months. As well as the annual Scarecrow Decorating Contest and Amazing Turkey Challenge, a local road race around town that begins and ends at the Common. These events are held in the fall months.
Another side to Grafton that many value is its open spaces.
The Grafton Land Trust, Williams Preserve CR is a collection of trail loops where my family and our dog, Rocky, love to go hiking. These places bring me peace and rejuvenation. There are the ‘regulars’, a handful of avid walkers/hikers and dog lovers, that go here to get outdoors. I’ve met so many wonderful people and have had so many great conversations with new friends on our daily trail hikes.
It’s been 7 years since we ended our journey to finding a new home and settled into our house here in town, and every year I find something new to love about this community. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I am so thankful for mine. I truly feel at home with our family, friends, and community that we have here in Grafton.
