I just got back from the midwest, which is where I grew up. After 9 years in Colorado it just doesn't look the same to me anymore. My parents sold the house I grew up in this spring, so I literally can't go to the home of my childhood. But this trip back everything seemed to look a little different. Not in a bad way. It simply didn't have a familiar feel to it anymore. Like a place I was visiting on vacation, not the place I was from.
Even if it didn't feel like home, it was a lovely place to go on vacation. My friends Stacy and Jeff have a
beautiful home outside of Lawrence, Kansas. Their place is becoming quite the little farm. Organic garden, chickens, horses, dogs, cats.... I was hoping for a fresh laid egg from one of their chickens, but the girls aren't giving them up yet!I also got to see their beautiful daughter, Lilli. Lilli is 13 months now and it has been a year since I have seen her. She is great! My favorite thing about her is
when I see her mischievous look right before she does something she isn't supposed to do. I've seen this same expression on Stacy's face many times! Stacy's mom, Diana, thinks this is funny. Lilli is just as much of a handful as Stacy was at her age.
We had a great time taking Lilli swimming for the first time. We went out to Clinton reservoir and Lilli took to the water like a pro. She loved bouncing in the lake and playing with the sand. She's going to be quite the little fishy!
On this trip, I also had time for a girl's weekend with Stacy and our friend Perky. We all went to school together, all the way from elementary to high school. It's great getting to spend quality time with friends you've known a long time.
We went to Rocheport, Missouri. It's a charming little town just west of Columbia on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri river. The Katy trail bike path goes through Rocheport. It is the longest rails to trails bike path in the country. There is also Les Bourgeois winery, where we had an excellent dinner the first night. We also caught some great live Blues music at the General Store Friday night. Fun times.
On our second day we took canoes out on the Missouri river. This was a very cool experience! We went with Mighty Mo Canoe Trips, and our guide Brent was great.
He was very knowledgeable about the history and ecology of the river, which made the trip a fun learning experience. I was so nice to float down the big river on a hot day. At one point we stopped off on the shore to check out a spring, and Brent brought a watermelon that we all shared. I highly recommend both the Katy Trail B&B and canoeing for something different and fun to do in Missouri.
On my last full day in the midwest, I got to visit my Grandma and aunt Sherry in Sedalia, Missouri. We had a very nice visit. I hadn't seen where they are living before and it's a very nice place. It is an old school building that has been renovated into spacious apartments. Grandma is still going strong at 83!
Monday it was time to head towards Colorado and home again. Being technically homeless this summer I've really had a chance to think about the meaning of the word "home". I'm not sure I can yet define home for myself, but I do know Colorado feels like home to me. Maybe home is the place you feel most like yourself. Maybe it's simply where your stuff is. Whatever the definition, home is truly "where your heart is". It's good to be home.
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