The Aesthetics of a Hometown

Growing up in a super small town with little entertainment and lots of time on my hands, I never thought I'd actually desire to live here as an adult...or even in the state for that matter.  But, as time has passed and my perspective has changed, I've quickly learned the value of waking up each morning and having the gift of looking out the window at the surrounding hills and what they carry into the early morning hours from the night that has passed.  The neighborhood that I grew up in is one of the prime spots to get a bird's eye view of the hills and valley, so it's made it quite difficult to live elsewhere, abandoning such amazing sights.  I'm positive I never considered this as a child or teen, so it's funny to me now that it means so much.  I've, on two occasions, left the region for educational and professional opportunities, but it's simply the aesthetics and accompanying peace that always brings me back.

The quiet and still of the mornings always beckon such a feeling of well being and balance.  Whether it's beautiful sunshine bathing the hilltops or solemn raindrops, quenching the earth's thirst, the morning is a time of appreciation and contentment.

The nighttime is not much different, except it will oftentimes offer dazzling colors or gentle patterns of twinkling stars.  The beauty of the sky and surroundings almost always causes the melodies of the highway to fade into the background or disappear.  So, whether from the busy East Coast, laid back West Coast, chill Midwest or various other geographies of the States, I would recommend the next time you're "home," you find a moment to fall madly in love with your surroundings.  In the busy world that is ours, I have found this to be one of the few ways to briefly make time stop and immerse myself in the stillness that is ours as well.