Anna Turner: Backing Blenheim | Canterbury Opinion | Local Voices from Canterbury, New Zealand

There's no place like home. No matter how old you are or how long you've been away, there's still something nice about having a place to go home to (and have your washing done for you.)  

For me, I grew up in Blenheim - a town known for its wine, sunshine, and a surplus of bogans.  

Growing up, I couldn't wait to get out of the place. I heard a saying recently: "There isn't much to be seen in a little town, but what you hear makes up for it."  

It's true - Blenheim was small and there was nothing to do, but everyone knew every else's business.  

You couldn't even go to the supermarket without someone hearing about it (and imagine the scandal if the contents of your trolley were less than respectable.)

However, throughout my four years of university my appreciation of home grew.  

I used to return home every holidays for a few weeks of warmth, good old-fashioned home-cooked meals and sleep. It seemed like heaven compared to my dingy student flat and was always a good chance for my dwindling funds to recuperate.  

I'd arrive home with a suitcase full to the brim of dirty washing, which I'd promptly drop in order to raid the cupboards. My Mum would throw her eyes skyward but secretly I think she enjoyed getting to fuss over someone again.  

But it's only now that I'm working full-time and can't get home as often that I truly miss it.  

It seems the feeling is mutual. When I flew home last weekend for my Mum's birthday, my dog (a little white excitable thing) was so excited to see me he ran upstairs, jumped on my bed and proceeded to pee all over it. I wish I was joking, but I'm not. He looked really pleased with himself afterwards too.  

Not much had changed since I'd last left. There was still wine, there was still sunshine, there were still bogans.  

The only thing that had changed was my perspective. Rather than feeling smothered by the place, I got to remember all the things I actually liked about the place.  

Over the years, I've had two main reactions from people over my birth town - either ridicule or snobbery. I had a stock line I used to use: "I'm from Blenheim but don't hold it against me."  

Maybe now I'll say, "I'm from Blenheim, which isn't that great, but it's not that bad either."