February called for mid-west travels for an overdue family visit, and to finally meet my very new (and very tiny!) niece. It was a perfect and long weekend that made me wish that I could make these trips more often. Seeing my family more frequently would certainly be the number one reason, but I also tend to forget that I live in a tiny bubble in the Pacific Northwest. Traveling always leaves me with a new, or somehow forgotten/misplaced, perspective on how different other parts of the country can be, both in terms of the people and the landscape. Growing up in the mid-west always felt rather safe and suburban, and I always knew that I would it leave it as soon as I had the chance. There was a point in my life when trips to Chicago, Detroit, and Cincinnati were EXCITING. Travels, and the eventual move at 19, to Southern California were eye opening and life changing. Looking back, I suppose that I am rather grateful that I grew up in Ohio and Michigan, surrounded by vast open landscapes, with the occasional small city or town to break up the monotony of some of the flattest places on Earth. Because now that I live, very close to, and work in a major city I long for cabins and camping, walks through dense forests, and rivers, lakes, ocean beaches, and small towns. Oh those damn tables turning and such.
