The Great Plains. . .

While we were staying in Ruleton with my dad, two of our mornings were very free. The first morning I woke up was the first time I knew I didn't have any plans for the morning. I threw on my running clothes, not wondering or even caring what the thermometer said, but assured it was going to be chilly. I headed north on the familiar old dirt road. My plan was to walk, but after ten seconds, I decided running fit the day better. After a hundred yards, there were no more trees. No buildings. No hills. Better yet, no cars. Only farmland, as far as I could see. It's the beauty of western Kansas. It really is the flattest place I know. At night, I can see the lights from town clearly, and that's ten miles away. On a really clear night, I can see the lights from a town twenty miles west of us. It's beautful. I've never seen prettier sunrises and sunsets than the ones I've seen from my childhood home. I've never seen as many stars as I have from the place I used to call home. The entire sky is filled and shining. It's awesome! I miss those sights. I thought about the days I used to run around our property. It felt so big back then! I could still see the outline of where my mom used to have her massive garden. . . where I'd spend countless hours pulling weeds and picking green beans! The tree plot just north of the house had been cleared. I used to climb up in those trees and make secret hideouts, thinking that nobody in the world knew where I was! Maybe nobody did, but I don't think Mom was ever worried. I guess she figured I'd always come home for supper! As I ran up the road, I realized that everything seemed so much smaller. The distance to our closest neighbor really isn't all that far (all of about one hundred yards), but back then, it felt like we were taking a little road trip! My plan was to run down around the Y (where the road splits) and back to the house, but I ran more. What used to seem like such a long distance to run is really only 1.3 miles! It felt to good to get out, away from everything. The only sounds I heard were my feet hitting the packed gravel and my steady breathing. It's the most free I've felt in a long time. I spent some time thinking about how life has changed over the last eight months from living in a foreign country. Then I thought about how life has changed over the last 12+ years since I've left home. No real profound thoughts came out, but I felt happy and peaceful. My life hasn't been without it's trials, but it would be a shame for me to not recognize the incredible journey I'm on. The trials and challenges, along with the blessings, have shaped me to be the woman I am today. Definitely a work in progress, that's for sure, but I'm thankful for where I am. Running has been so therapeutic for me. I was so happy to get out on the open road and reminisce a little! I did it again the next day and was again thankful for my time alone.