I grew up in Lafayette, Indiana. I was so ready to leave that town by the time I graduated from high school. There was literally nothing to do. People often talked of this magical little celery bog, and how it was so important to the environment. But all I knew is that we could spend time in the corn fields or drive through Purdue’s campus, but living there was such a bore.
When I was able to visit my aunt and uncle in Pensacola, Florida between my junior and senior year, though, I knew the beach is where I wanted to be. Even though they lived a good half hour away from the beach, I imagined that we’d spend days in the sand, cooling off in the salty water and eating sandwiches on the beach. But when I got there, our time was spent more so playing Spades, watching movies, and shopping. Also, they still had to go to work and take care of their home.
Even though we were so close to the beach, we only visited a handful of times that summer. We actually spent more time camping in the mountains in Arkansas.
(Side note: I really enjoyed this trip. Had so much fun with my aunt, uncle and cousins. And am very grateful for this opportunity.)
I left Lafayette in 2002, after I graduated from Purdue, and we’ve set up shop here in Mahomet for the past 13 years.
My oldest daughter….she cannot wait to leave Mahomet! She wanted to move to New York, but now she’s thinking Milwaukee. She says she fits in well there, and there is nothing to do here, anyway.
Point taken. Central Illinois doesn’t a whole lot of natural wonders be impressed with. We have corn and soybean fields. Our shopping is so so. But I do really enjoy the restaurants around here.
Last week, I moved my person to Colorado. She’s wanted to live there for the last four years of her life. She loves the Colorado blue skies, the call of the mountains, the men with beards and plaid shirts. She told me that one of her friends said people in Colorado are always either coming or going from a hiking trip. That’s what she wants.
And I believe her. I know how much she loves adventure. We’ve been through many together.
Once we arrived in Colorado, we dropped her belongings off at her house and then at her school. After the truck was unpacked, we continued on to the U-Haul drop-off location where we met the nicest man who helped us detach the trailer.
He asked us if we had any plans now that we’d arrived. We told him that we planned to take the Cog Railway to the top of Pike’s Peak and to go in a cave the next day. He said, “you know I’ve lived here for 40 years, and I’ve never been to the top of Pike’s Peak.” He told us that with owning a business you just get too busy, but he really should make it up there one day.
Then, it dawned on me that no matter where you live, people’s lives are the same everywhere. We have all these wonders around us, whether it’s nature or people, but we just float through our days, working and getting things done. Most of us miss what is right in our backyards just because we are just busy living our lives.
I was in Colorado for seven days, and at one point, after unpacking boxes all morning, I walked outside and said, “Oh, there are mountains about 20 miles away.” I realized that sometimes (mountains) are like cheerleaders. They are there, and beautiful to look at, but most of us never get to do them.
I don’t think there was one local person on that Cog Railway up to Pike’s Peak. And I don’t think any of the people at Cave of the Winds were local either. Yes, Colorado Springs is a bit of tourist trap, but so is the ocean, and the celery bog and the museum that is in our own backyard.
Humans are always looking for something more, something new, something exciting. I believe that we are to the point where we’re always looking for that next big thing because we are addicted to excitement. And often times, in that, we miss out on so many rich and good things that are very near to where we currently are.
