Long Weekend

I just got home from a long weekend at my brother's. My youngest son and I went. We spent Saturday perusing the Saturday market, followed by watching the home town parade. Then we snuck home for an afternoon nap then headed back into town for the county fair and rodeo.

Sunday we got up early and drove to a lake for some fishing. We caught our limits and headed back home for another nap, followed by an evening barbecue and board games.

And today (Monday) found us headed back home. As I was driving home, I had a lot of time to think. It's a four hour drive and the youngest was plugged into his ipod, so there wasn't a lot of conversation. I grew up in the country, outside of a small town. It wasn't until I joined the military did I really get exposed to what a "city" really was. I was never really thrilled about living in town, but that is where my husband wanted to live. I tried several times to get him to move farther out, but without any luck.

I realized today while driving back that I still miss that small town feel and living in an area where the wildlife is more prominent than the cars. The closest I get to wildlife now is a squirrel with an occasional off track raccoon. I miss neighbors that drop by to see how you're doing and to just shoot the breeze. It would be nice to have a few acres to plant fruit trees on and entertain the thought of having a couple of goats or cow or two.

Maybe I'm just being nostalgic for my youth when I felt safe and loved. Or maybe the reality is that I've gotten away from roots and perhaps I'm trying to find my way back.