Country Living

Last night Molly and I went out to Jessica's house. Out in the country. Yay! My intentions were for horseback riding lessons, but they were unpacking her parents' UHAUL, so we just played in the yard with Suttyn and all of the dogs.

And we jumped on the trampoline. A LOT. Did 484,293 rounds of Ring around the Rosie. And sweat so much I smelled. (But not as much as the night before.)

But as I was laying on the trampoline, looking up at the sky and hearing the radio play from the barn nearby it hit me that I hadn't had a day (or just evening) like that in a long time. Where I was just out in the country, playing and having a lot of fun on the farm.

Not my farm.

For the longest time I was so focused on moving out of the city that I didn't take the time to enjoy actually living in a city. Which is what I'm doing now. I'm making my apartment a home, rather than just a temporary place to sleep, and embracing all of the fun things Columbus has to offer.

For years I went home every. single. weekend. Partially because I liked going home and hanging with my family. But mostly because I didn't have anything to do in Columbus. I didn't have friends from college that were still in town to do things with and my boyfriend at the time went home every weekend as well, so I did too. Because I thought Columbus was boring and I hated being here alone. I'd rather be alone in Piketon where I knew people or could go to the grocery store and run into someone I knew.

Then last fall I started staying up here more and doing things in town and going home less often, and then this spring I really started making friends and joining groups and teams and classes and I'm so busy now that I just don't have time to go home. I feel bad for not visiting that often, but I think that this is my time to be here in Columbus, enjoying everything the city has to offer - baseball games, festivals, events, nightlife - because I haven't done that in the past, even though I always wanted to.

But last night I realized that I do miss playing in the barns or out in a field in the middle of no where and just being so hot, dirty, smelly and just overall gross that standing in the shower is the best feeling in the world.

I miss the country side of things that I don't get to do that often anymore since I'm in the city, but I also know it will always be a part of me and I can always go home to that anytime I want. This job and this city is where I'm supposed to be right now. It won't be forever so I need to enjoy everything while I can and quit always looking ahead and planning for the next thing to happen. I just need to enjoy the time being and let things happen as they happen.

And working with ag students every day, all day helps too! ;)