Forget six degrees of separation, most locals are only three people away from sharing relatives-another of the 4,724 reasons I need to leave this town.

I start my morning in the cemetery, letting the sound of nearby birds fill my excited soul. When I can’t hang with friends, I escape to my favorite place. It’s a short walk across my neighbor’s pasture and the chain-link fence keeping livestock from disturbing this area, never stops me from entering. The cemetery where my dad ...