A little background

I am the quintessential farm girl. I grew up on a farm, went to college, met a man and fell in love. Moved to a "city" for 7 years, and because the said man wanted to be a "farmer" moved back to the country, and now live on a small petting-zoo like farm.

However, I never quite got the desire to live in a big city out of my blood. It's there, probably not in the amount it used to be, but every once in awhile, it flares up.

You see, when Brent and I started dating, I had just made plans to go live in Grand Rapids close to my aunt and uncle, and start an apprenticeship type of thing at his business. I was already to go. My dad and I had made the trip, I had toured the business...I was making plans.

Then Brent and I started dating, 6 months later we were engaged, and 6 months after that we were married.

Whew!

So, plans for the big city were put by the wayside.

It was ok. We got started having a family, and the country life became more important to me. I didn't want to raise my kids in a city. Where would they run around? Where would they grow to love animals? Where could I go outside my back door, and not have people staring at me.

The country.

However, each year we travel to Chicago. The nearest "big" city to get my fix.

It's our annual destination for vacation.

Brent has family that live about 1 1/2 hours outside of town, so the end of our trip to the big city usually involves visiting them afterwards.

This past summer we took the kids to the Lincoln Park zoo, which is nice, but maybe not so much for kids our kid's age. However, once we left the zoo, on our way to the hotel, we had to take a street (I don't recall the name) to get back out to the main highway.

Suddenly we were transported to the neighborhood of my dreams.

It was what I had always pictured my house would look like if I lived in a city and had a million dollars in my pocket.

There was a whole street full of them. Side by side. All cookie cutter, but adorable just the same.

Kinda looked like Bill and Claire Huxtable's house (name that show!)

I couldn't tear my eyes from all of them.

But then I remembered, I don't want to live in a city. Just being gone for a week of vacation in a big city nearly does me in. I can't wait to get back home.

I can't wait to be surrounded by this.

Serene acres of corn or beans blowing in the wind. A green yard (well, most of the year that is), that my kids can run around in, and we can have friends over to ride the 4 wheeler in.

So, for now, I'll dwell on how good I have it. I'll let my city "fix" flare up only once in awhile.

Once a year of city livin' is good enough for me.