Home-Bode

   Good afternoon/evening!
       It feels like afternoon because the sun is shining in the sky...but it is about 6:00; so evening it is. What a beautiful, but clammy day it has been. I have absolutely nothing less than positive to say about the weather...because it is summer time & the weather is appropriate. This is saying something, especially since I am 6hours further north than I have been for the beginning part of summer.
       For those of you who do not know, I came home to Minnesota for the summer. I haven't truly lived at home since my sophomore/junior year of college. You can check my "Midwest Living" tab to read more about it. Ultimately, it is a delight to be back and familiarizing myself with the surroundings again. I never thought I would be so interested in the suburbs and appreciative of the different selections. I am and it is great! A positive from living in SW-Iowa for the past 2 years and then coming home for an extended amount of time. My mother truly enjoys that I still call Apple Valley home; I think I always will. :)

Enjoying a nice Thai salad with my mom

    I decided to come home because one of the many benefits of being a teacher (a part from changing the lives of children) are the summers! With me living so far away from home, I can't just go home for the weekend; I have, but it is short lived. I have dear friends who live in the Cities, both from my childhood and college. I also get to spend time with my mom and dad in my childhood home..my bedroom living space is something to get used to lol. However, I am so thankful I get the summer to have an extended amount of time to come home and see my loved one's that I have missed. There are a lot of people out there who have moved away and are unable to make it home for a period of time unless they use 'vacation' days.

Lake Marion

       With all of this said, I do miss my SW place and the dear friends that are there too. 6 weeks is a long time to go without them and it will be a treat upon my return...however, I am going to enjoy my time here to the fullest! I honestly think I appreciate certain things that I used to not notice or take for granted. Like the different choices in grocery stores, the coffee shops, the places to eat lunch, the beaches...oh my goodness I have missed the beaches! The trees, I love the trees and how they bend in the wind and how they line the road that I drive down on my way home. I think this cheesy part of appreciation comes from the gap between High School and now. When I was in college I came back home a lot and was still frequently involved with life in Apple Valley. Now moving away, I am away from it throughout the year and glad to be immersed back into it and not feel like such a visitor...since I am here for an extended time.

Carissa & Courtney @ Coffee Time (Caribou) :)

       I have a feeling I am repeating myself on this post and I probably am (I have that tendency) but this helps me get my thoughts out and puts into perspective how I look at it. Kind of relates to my previous post of letting go of the past. I am a completely different person than I was in High School and have even changed since college. So coming back home to familiar surroundings gives me a new perspective...and I enjoy it. I don't have feelings of sadness and "oh, back then..." but it is weird to be sitting at the Caribou Coffee (no surprise) that I sat at when I was 16 working on Science homework with a friend. Any-who...enjoy your evening and if you are chilly wherever you are embrace it :)