Limited Holiday Edition- Part 2!

I spent the Fourth of July holiday in a different world: at home in Kansas.  It’s always a culture shock to return home for a visit, especially after living in China or California.  In all the other places I’ve lived, I’ve thought, “This isn’t the real world, compared to Kansas.”  But now I have finally come to the conclusion that Kansas is not the real world.  It is its own unique place—huge, barely populated, windswept, inexpensive, conservative, and slow-paced.  99% of the world actually doesn’t live like Kansas-- where most people can afford a house at only $100K, where complete strangers go out of their way to be friendly to you, where people talk even more slowly than they drive, where you are guaranteed to run into someone you know from your past whenever you’re out in public, where the weather and crops serve as universal conversation starters or sermon introductions, where American flags and bunting are year-round décor, where everyone already seems to know what has happened to you over the past year before you get a chance to tell them, where neighbors cut your grass for you when your mower is broken or call at 11 p.m. to tell you that you left your garage door open, and where time seems to stand still.

Growing up, I couldn’t wait to leave the Midwest for greener pastures.  Or at least a life near a body of water or a big city.  Now after 10 years away, my heart has realized that greener pastures don’t necessarily exist.  Things I used to disdain I now long for: so much open-space, a tight-knit community, a laid-back way of life, values that seek to honor family, friends, neighbors, fellow residents, and country, an evening where the summer night-life consists primarily of fireflies, countless stars in the sky, and games of Scrabble... 

I realize I am wearing rose-colored glasses.  Topeka has its own share of poverty, crime, brokenness, and problems, albeit much different than my current home in Oakland.  And I realize that I will never live in a perfect place until I am home in my eternal home in heaven.  However, I think some of my goals and values in life have shifted as I’ve grown older and lived all over the map, and my visit home has reminded me of those.  Where I used to once be quite ambitious about a career and making a name for myself, I am now concerned about being part of a community (rather than just a huge, bustling city), being closer to family (rather than as far away as possible), being actively engaged in a church (rather than just attending a church), being a light to those around me in all circumstances (rather than only befriending people I like being around), and being a loving and encouraging friend, daughter, sister (rather than doing whatever might be the opposite of that), and being a growing follower of Christ (rather than remaining stagnant in my walk with Him). 

Although I knew this limited edition holiday, part 2 (read about part 1 here), couldn’t and probably shouldn’t last forever, there were some wonderful highlights of all shapes and sizes:

-Being reunited with my family!

-Tagging along to numerous adventures with Andrea and Jamie—like slacklining, meals with friends, badminton games, delighting in dozens upon dozens of acres of wildflowers, eating a birthday picnic by the Gage Park rose garden, and gazing at the sky in the quiet evening while sitting perched on fence posts.

-Enjoying the unseasonably moderate weather and vast, green expanse of land as far as your eyes could see.

-Catching up with neighbors at the annual neighborhood Fourth of July picnic in my Mom’s yard.

-Exploding massive fireworks that are most likely illegal in most parts of the country.

-Sharing a giant cinnamon roll with Grandma from Annie’s Place.

-Walking around our part of town while marveling at the huge houses and yards.

-Singing praise and worship songs contentedly while standing cozily in the church pews with the Freeze and Taylor families.

-Riding the very old Gage Park train and carousel for only $1.25 with my sister, dad, and stepmom.

-Having a surprise birthday party that included my 85 year old grandmother chucking a dozen balloons into the living room from the second story balcony.

-Sitting on the lawn of Topeka High listening to a patriotic music concert with the school’s venerable old tower chimes.

-Sleeping very little because we were always engaged in some kind of activity.

-Eating homemade lemon ice-cream in delicate little crystal dishes at the Keys’ house.

-Visiting my mom and dad at their respective places of work.

-Listening to freight trains rumble by the Kansas River.

-Laughing so hard until I felt nearly ill.

-Dining on plentiful portions of meat.

-Buying gas for only $3.38/gallon!

-Sleeping in the same room as my sister, who always promptly fell asleep before we could even chat.

-Glancing up every day at the biggest, bluest sky in the whole world.

I was so thankful to be able to make the trip back home, and now feel a renewed sense of purpose here in the Bay Area… Walking into work this morning, I felt a slight rush of excitement as buses honked impatiently, as I crossed the street with a rainbow of different kinds of people, and as commuters piled out of the BART train station. God loves these people and this place just as much as Kansas.  I have been called here for a time such as this, so I look forward to continuing to build my home here.  And I also am aware there are only 5 more months until Christmas: Limited Edition Holiday, Part 3!

Hanging out on split-rail fences like true Kansans.

Back at Topeka High!

Ahhh... the prairie.

Nearly lost Grandma to the cornfields.

A special place with special firecrackers.

Reunited with my sister/supermodel friend while wearing a birthday princess badge, of course.

Look at that flag billow in the breeze!

The one and only Gage Park train.

The lovely Freeze ladies.

Bon voyage to two of my favorite people in the whole world!