It's been a real long time since I last posted here - nearly 4 years - and I have lived in Asheville, NC for nearly that whole time. I'm a little bummed that I didn't record much of it here, because Asheville is beautiful - locals call it "God's country" and I would not disagree.
Despite its beauty, we are picking up and moving to Shawnee, Kansas! The prairie has its own beauty and Shawnee is a really lovely suburb of Kansas City. In some ways it feels like going home. And in some ways it feels like leaving it.
Home. It's a powerful word. When I drove the moving van over the mountain pass to get to Asheville that first night, the mountains felt like home to my soul. But strangely, even though my soul longed for and loves the peace of these mountains, I never found a house or land of my own that felt like home. Also, Asheville has a bit of what I call the "scary South" though they hide it well. Living here as a local I saw it and it did not make me feel safe. I have never felt settled.
When I first seriously considered moving to Kansas, I created an "ideal location" wish list. I wanted to find a place near my family, within walking distance of good schools, on the trails systems, close to the library, and if possible, biking distance to most of my errands. I got most of those things with my new house. Additionally, I finally have a bit of a yard at least enough to garden and plant some fruit trees. Plus my new house is a split level - which I know not everyone loves - but I do. When I found it, I felt like it was meant to be mine. Immediately, I knew, this was my house. The house feels like a nice warm hug from an old kind friend. Even though I am not there yet, I feel settled, like I could happily live out my days in this house.
While the skyline of the prairie will never be able to compare to the Appalachians panoramas we see all the time - the prairie has its own beauty. A prairie sunrise can light your soul on fire for the whole day - it was enough to make me excited for my 3 am shift at the local donut shop every morning. And going to a place with so many of my people - that is the real appeal of Kansas - that feels like heading home.
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| The beautiful Appalachian Mountains from our hike near Craggy Gardens (one of our favorite hikes). |
Home. It's a powerful word. When I drove the moving van over the mountain pass to get to Asheville that first night, the mountains felt like home to my soul. But strangely, even though my soul longed for and loves the peace of these mountains, I never found a house or land of my own that felt like home. Also, Asheville has a bit of what I call the "scary South" though they hide it well. Living here as a local I saw it and it did not make me feel safe. I have never felt settled.
When I first seriously considered moving to Kansas, I created an "ideal location" wish list. I wanted to find a place near my family, within walking distance of good schools, on the trails systems, close to the library, and if possible, biking distance to most of my errands. I got most of those things with my new house. Additionally, I finally have a bit of a yard at least enough to garden and plant some fruit trees. Plus my new house is a split level - which I know not everyone loves - but I do. When I found it, I felt like it was meant to be mine. Immediately, I knew, this was my house. The house feels like a nice warm hug from an old kind friend. Even though I am not there yet, I feel settled, like I could happily live out my days in this house.
While the skyline of the prairie will never be able to compare to the Appalachians panoramas we see all the time - the prairie has its own beauty. A prairie sunrise can light your soul on fire for the whole day - it was enough to make me excited for my 3 am shift at the local donut shop every morning. And going to a place with so many of my people - that is the real appeal of Kansas - that feels like heading home.
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