Here versus There

Weekend trip to Big Creek!

This weekend we drove to Eastern Kentucky to visit my sister and her family. The drive is just about 3 hours but the difference in where we live seems so much more vast. They live about 30-40 minutes away from a real grocery store or Walmart. And we all know that your proximity to a Walmart is what delineates the size and progress of your city. :) And what's even worse is the Walmart that is closest to them is not even a Super Walmart. It's old, things are always on the ground, and it kinda reminds me of an old rundown Kmart. Infact I call it the Dirty Walmart. Sadly, I've had to shop here for last minute forgotten items, which inevitably they never have. I'm unsure how far the closest mall is, maybe an hour away? We went there once I think and the curvy drive there made me so carsick I've not been back. There are lots of gravel roads, roads that have slid down the mountain, curvy roads, roads washed out by rain, roads blocked by fallen trees or rocks, teeny tiny roads that are supposed to be for two cars but I feel are a bit too small for my already small Honda Civic, bridges that look like tiny sidewalks and I'm supposed to drive across it, and I've seen rope bridges but I have no clue if anyone actually uses those. I think I'd rather swim. All different manners of houses to pass by... gorgeous log cabins, houses, tiny houses, double wide trailers that look like houses, small trailers, houses and trailers that look unliveable yet I'm sure people live in them. All different styles of living too as evidenced by the number and type of items strewn across the lawns... beautiful flowerbeds, stone figures, swingsets, cars in disrepair, tractors, clotheslines, couches, tires, and even toilets. (Why? I ask.)

With all the differences, scary hilly traveling, inconvient shopping, and all... I like going to visit my family there. Of course I love to see my family, but it's also a nice break from "city livin'". There isn't as much traffic to contend with, people wave when you drive by, cheap shopping at the local community store, the views of the mountains and trees and just overall greenery not blocked by power lines, sounds of rivers and creeks not overcome by city sounds. At night the stars in the sky are amazing. My sister has a pool in her backyard and once or twice I have been swimming in it all by myself and I lay on my back and look up at the sky and the hills and trees and think just how gorgeous it all is.

All this just 3 short hours away from me.

I can certainly see the benefits from chosing to live "far away from it all". I hope that by visiting here often enough as Nate grows up that he will be able to truly appreciate it for all it's beauty and not listen so much when Mommy gripes about the Dirty Walmart.

A few pictures taken at my sisters right after it rained:







Wow this post went totally differently then what I had intended. I will try to post again later this week with pictures for the actual reason we traveled this weekend. A Birthday Luau party for Samantha - now age 6! :)