Just a Kansas Girl

I have lived in Colorado for 27 years now. That is almost half of my life that I have lived out here. And for 27 years, I have heard, "Oh, you know Dorothy and Toto?" or "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." And I just smile and say, "I sure do know Dorothy and Toto, and no, we're definitely not in Kansas anymore."

Yes, I cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs.  I know I'm definitely in the minority, but I cheer on my Kansas teams (K-state, KU, FHSU Tigers, and the WSU Shockers, to name a few).  The sight of a big, yellow sunflower will stop me dead in my tracks.

Traffic congestion on I-25 makes me crazy, but coming up behind a tractor or combine or harvesting crew that's taking its half out of the middle of the road and moving slowly is A-OK.

Do you eat dinner or supper?  Growing up, dinner was our noon meal and supper was our evening meal.  I moved to Colorado and people looked at me like I was crazy.  Lunch was your noon meal and dinner was your evening meal.  I still don't get that right always!

While I love the mountains and have a killer view out my front window every single day of Pikes Peak, I grew up where it was flat, flat, flat.  I remember telling one of my roommates in college that you could see for miles out where I lived, and I don't think she believed me until she made the drive out to see me.  It's a different kind of beautiful.  And say what you will, but western Kansas has some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets in the world.

https://lonewolfcyclist.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/16th-day-may-31/

Sunrise picture courtesy of my friend, Marieta Hauser

So, while Colorado has been my home for the last several years, my heart always goes back to Kansas and "Home on the Range."  I guess you can take the girl out of Kansas, but you can't take the Kansas out of the girl!