Okay, so living in the South and in the country has been a HUGE adjustment for me for the past two years! I think the wildlife has been the biggest shock... huge herds of deer come and eat our garden/flowers, bringing with them an insane tick population, not to mention the poisonous snakes that we see in our neighborhood/yard every year, and even a few black bear and coyote sitings! Those things are VERY hard to adjust to being a city girl from Wichtia, Kansas. I think the most I saw growing up was one box turtle and a lizard.
Overall, though, I'm really starting to LOVE where we live.
I love that people always wave to each other (even strangers) when you pass by. I love that people use manners and respect elders. I love that people are so down to earth and can talk your ear off like you are family, even after you just met them. And while I DO miss my beloved Kansas--my family, most of all, not to mention those beautiful amber waves of grain and wide open spaces and BIG SKY! At the same time, I'm really starting to like it here, too. And even though where we live is very rural, we are only 10-30 minutes away from big cities, universities, and lots of shopping... so we kinda get to experience the best of both worlds.
Above all, I love that my kids are growing up in an environment that is a little bit away from the craziness of the cities. When we previously lived in a big suburb, we couldn't stand the environment/atmosphere there. I couldn't help but cringe to see flocks of little 8 year old girls with highlights in their hair, french manicures on their toes, a coach bag on their arm, an i-phone or i-pod on their ear! It just made me CRINGE! Not surprising, their parents were even worse! We felt like it was all about materialism, and consumerism, and a race to see who had the biggest, nicest house, with the best toys! My husband hated it a little more than me, and pressured me to move out to "the sticks." And boy am I glad he did. I'm glad we are out of that mess.
There are lots of other reasons why I love living in the country...
Where else but here would my daughter's BFFs be named "Lucy Boone," "Ella Grace," and "Tripp." Honestly, how cute and totally Southern are those names?
And where else but here would my daughter spend an afternoon playing in a plastic kiddie pool... makin' mud pies, and watching about a bazillion chickens graze (is 'graze' the right term?), while sharing a brown bag lunch? I mean... really? That just doesn't happen where we lived in the burbs. I love it!
And while I'm sure kids make mud pies and play in kiddie pools and watch chickens graze in other places of the country (most likely in my beloved Kansas, too).... I guess what I'm saying is that we are SO happy to have found this place and made so many new friends! I think it is finally starting to feel like home! Even for a city-slicker like me!
