Midwest Memories: Part 3: Kansas Kind of Life

Life in Kansas runs on a different pace. The fastest movements are those of horses roaming wildly in fields and wind blowing against the grains before a harvest. It has been a long time since I slowed down so much. I even got to finish a book, which is such a rare treat for me, to find the time to read a novel - something I used to do frequently. Even seemingly small acts like petting horses and listening to acoustic music at an outdoor dinner can make your day, if you let them. We were treated to an outdoor dinner at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. The dinner was presented by the local Farmer's Market and featured locally grown food and wine. My favorite wine came from the Oz Winery and was called Ruby Slippers (it was a red wine of course).

While I wasn't able to click my heels together thrice, I was able to kick my shoes off a bit. And while there is no place like Kansas, there is also no place like home. I think the greatest lesson learned from traveling is finding those things that appeal to you while abroad and incorporating them into your everyday life -wherever that life is lived. For me that means valuing family and staying in touch, taking my shoes off once in a while (especially the painful ones), not being afraid of relaxation, reading more, and indulging in being home.