Oregon the Beautiful
I think it is definitely fair to say that the longer I don't live in rural eastern Oregon the more I like it when I go back. When I lived there I thought it was ugly, brown and boring. The ground is covered in sagebrush and it smells like onions and livestock. Small town living is slower, more gossip filled and dare I say judgy. I just made that word up. People feel so inclined to compare themselves to others for some reason. In a city I think people accept that we are all at different points in our lives, living life the best we can and don't really judge each other.
But as I get older and take my kids back to visit our family I appreciate so much more what it does have. There are amazing sunsets, beautiful variations in color of the fields and some pretty awesome old buildings. My kids love seeing the farm animals. In fact when we go to the National Zoo here in DC the farm area is by far their favorite. It seems so silly to me since I grew up by so many farm animals. They certainly don't seem zoo worthy. But they are, especially since otherwise my kids really wouldn't get to see them.
I also find the climate of rural eastern Oregon challenging but nice. It is dry and my body has adjusted pretty well to the humidity of DC. So I always have to slather on lotion and use extra conditioner in my hair. It affects my kids too. But the dry heat is so nice compared to humid heat. You don't sweat upon walking outside. You can find relief from the heat by finding some shade. And it cools off a lot at night. It has been really fun to share this difference with the kids.
