I hate to admit it, and still might do so somewhat incoherently *cough*, but it wasn't ALL bad. There are even a few things I'd say I actually miss about Kansas. The brilliant sunsets that painted the skies nearly every night and the warm (OK, mostly HOT) summer nights, surrounded by the buzz of cicadas, that followed them. Seeing the skies darken with an approaching thunderstorm, and it's strobe-like lightning behind the clouds. Even fishing for catfish, as creepy and stabby as they are, at one of the many fishing lakes... staying until the sun goes down and dusk comes alive with the flashes of lightning bugs and a chorus of frogs.
One of my favorite pastimes was chasing those gorgeous sunsets, armed with my camera, down the dirt roads behind our house that formed a grid around sections of farmland. On one particular excursion, as I gazed out at fields of corn bordered by gentle rolling grasslands, all bathed in the light of golden hour, striped with the long shadows of silhouetted windmills, barns and farmhouses I was struck by the beauty of ALL of it... not just the vibrant sky. The beauty was really in the simplicity of that "flatland", where there is so much for the light to touch, and in the pride of the farmers that built it. I had wondered so many times why anyone would CHOOSE to live in Kansas, or worse yet, rebuild after the destruction of a tornado... but in that moment I think I understood. Home is home. I was craving the mountains of mine, while these people probably crave the open space of theirs - and, if you're willing to see it, there is definitely beauty to be found in both.
I am thankful for the opportunity to experience something different from what I'm used to. I'm glad that we worked to the make the best of it, explored what the area had to offer and got to know it somewhat in the short time we were there. I don't know why, but I just felt the need to get that out, I needed to give it more before I deleted it from this blog forever. I have the mountains I craved outside my window right now, and I love it! Now... time to go do something productive.
Cheers!
T
