There are some days when Texas doesn't feel that different from the Pacific Northwest. When it just seems like people are people, and connections and memories are possible anywhere. And then there are other days when the differences seem drastic. When my situation and my roots just don't match up (for instance, a quart of blackberries costs $8.00 here. They grow like weeds in Oregon.). When it feels like my little Oregon heart flies in the face of Texan culture. When I'm reminded that, without my views changing, I have gone from being a conservative in a liberal place to a liberal in a conservative place.
I had one of those days last week. And by the end of the day, I just wanted to crawl into that treehouse in the photo above, wrap myself in our Pendleton blanket, turn on The Followers, put on my hipster glasses (that I don't yet have) and talk about things like Ramblin' Rod, Mt. Hood Conference track, and Crema lattes. Basically, I wanted to crawl into a cave of comfort and familiarity.
But that's not where I am right now. Right now I'm in Texas. And while the differences can be amusing some days, they're tiring on other days. And so I trust that this is an important and rich part of my experience, too. That I don't have to fall head-over-heels for Texas, but I do have to seek out what God has for me here. And I only have to buy blackberries if I want to.
xoxo.
P.S. I suppose this is a good time to announce that I get to return to the motherland for a couple of days around the 4th of July thanks to CookingThyme. Hooray!
4 comments:
These are beautiful.
I realized when I was in KS that familiarity in itself is a gift. I missed my home so much and just wanting to know what streets I was driving on, and people who knew my family.
But God surely has a plan for you there as you mentioned:)
Hope it grows on you!
KATIE!!!!!
I am now a conservative in a liberal place! It's so weird!!! On the other hand, I am reveling in the cheap, abundant blueberries here! You just call me whenever you want to talk! And, hey... how long would it take me to drive to CookingThyme??? Because that could be a blast, and the good Lord knows my cooking skills could use some help. Let me know... I'm serious :)
Marabeth
Wow Katie.... it sounds like God is "growin' you bigger than Texas". What an awesome experience you are having. Continue to embrace the new even as you miss the familiar. And continue to write... you wordsmith you.
Just found your blog, and just came home from a trip to Oregon! Love both!! :) There is something about the Pacific Northwest... it doesn't matter if I'm in Vancouver, Seattle or Oregon, I feel right at home.
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