welcome to kansas

June 22, 2022

Today I traveled back in time to life on the prairie.

As I drove into Kansas, I noticed the rolling hills, tall grass, and a sky that kept growing and growing along the horizon. I have been so used to the Ozark Mountains that when the land and sky opens up you really notice it, and even feel as if you had been a little bit crowded.

Most of the roads I traveled on today were empty. I saw farmers in fields, a few semi-trucks, and the occasional traveler. But, mostly it was just me on a two lane highway driving free—

And two road runners going down a gravel road —

I slowed down to watch them be.

—

I visited the Little House on the Prairie museum near Coffeyville, KS. It is the location of the home site of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family on their journey west. I’ve read the Little House books so many times as a kid, and again as an adult. Her stories and writing has always inspired me. I love reading about the way they set up their houses in different landscapes, how they used land to survive, and the many challenges they faced and overcame while living in the wild. Her stories inspire me to travel, write, and be brave in the face of the unknown.