Getting a makeover...and collecting memories

Among submitting a job application, finishing up a dress I started more than 6 months ago, and unintentionally making myself sick on pinto beans, I returned to an awesome website I book marked back in January. I'd like to get paid to write, but I want to work through what that actually means and if going the blog route is really my best option. If you're considering the same, check it out!

I was inspired to give my blog a new look after realizing that the style was a little boring and outdated. Gotta keep with the times, you know? :)

Anyways, I had a thought the other day which was very strange and I felt worth sharing.  I was trying to think of the last time that I had traveled somewhere and felt as comfortable as I do now, in Beloit, and what popped into my head was "Mexico."  Which is crazy. Because Mexico was so different than where I am now, with it being a whole other cultural experience. But I guess when I really think about it, that's exactly what this is like for me, too, because the culture is so different here. I've decided to dedicate my next few posts to some of these cultural differences, because they are each worth that many words.

Today I'd like to write about safety. When I was in Minneapolis (MN, not KS) a few weeks ago, I had the constant feeling of being on edge, not only because of the menacing looks from people, but because of the way people drove, both in the city and on the highway. You really have to be aggressive around there, and you will be 'pushed around' so to speak if you don't speak with your actions. In this case, that would mean wedging yourself into small spaces to change lanes, driving in the carpool lane during off-peak hours, etc. These are things that, growing up in Lawrence, I am not quite accustomed to.

Filled with old motors. For what reason I'll never know.

Now let's take a look at the other side of the spectrum, in Beloit, KS, where even on the highways you get 'the wave' (to be discussed in depth later), and you're more likely to be slowed down by some weird farm implement than an old lady in her Buick. The highways take you straight through some of the smallest towns on the map, forcing you to go from 65 to 35 mph in a few miles. Some of those highways are only one block away from the town's 'Main St.', of which nearly every town I've visited has one. But this is where things get interesting. Despite the fact that these towns are supposedly aging, I find myself constantly surrounded by families, mostly with younger children. I've seen much fewer people my own age, which for me is fine because I've always enjoyed older crowds anyways.

Wheat for as far as the eye can see. The harvesting has begun!

My point is that life in Beloit is slow. And it's not a detriment in my opinion. It's an asset, because I feel comfortable walking home from work after dark, waving to the old man on his porch a block away from my apartment. I feel at ease walking into the pharmacy and seeing a handful of retirees kicking back to enjoy afternoon coffee together. It's a different way of life out here, but the simplicity is really quite beautiful. Not to mention the incredible views driving on the highway as the sun is setting and seeing wind turbines bathed in pastel pink clouds and swaths of purple where the rain falls many miles away. I'm starting to understand what it's all about now, 'rural by choice'.

Somewhere between Concordia and Beloit

In another post I'll have to talk more about this idea of grocery stores, and how they are slowly disappearing. I had a thought today on my way back from Mankato...what if the traditional grocery store model is just outdated? For rural communities there may not currently be the kind of tax/consumer base to support what there is now, like Rod's Food Store below, but maybe what we should be thinking about in terms of food systems development isn't the re-establishment of 'grocery stores' per say, but some other kind of setup that allows people to purchase groceries without the high overhead. I have no idea what that would look like, but there's got to be someone doing a pilot study on more than just a mobile produce market. We need something bigger than that. Perhaps Kansas can be the pioneer?

One of the many locally owned grocery stores in North Central KS.

To end this discussion, I leave my readers with a question: What's something that makes living where you do special, and/or worth moving for? And was access to food something that ever crossed your mind when deciding where to live?