Thursday, April 19, 2012
My Town
Most people who know me (Hell, I think even those who don't) know I'm a CA girl. Born and raised. It is my second home and always will be. When I die part of my ashes will been strewn in the foothills (like there's not already dead things strewn about the foothills).I left CA when I was 18. For Kentucky.
The culture shock was insane. And depressing. And lonely. And in a way the hurtful words of the people in the small town we lived in made me cling to my home state even more.
We Californians already seem snobby to people in the midwest- we don't see it, or understand how we can be perceived that way. It's a few cultural behaviors though.
In CA we don't smile and wave to people passing us by. We keep to ourselves. In the midwest, whether they know you or not, they smile and do the steering wheel wave. It took many years before I realized it was just a thing they did and didn't have the gut reaction of "what the hell is your problem?"
It's slower- even in the city. People will stop their cars, in the middle of the street, to have a quick conversation.
After I met Stephen and we soon started talking about marriage I told him that if we got married in CA I'd move in KC with him and that's where we'd raise our family.
I won't get into details of why, but we got married in Colorado and now live in Kansas City.
I'm slowly but surely growing to love KC. I do indeed feel at home here and am thankful we can raise our kids in such a neat town.
Heck, there are even times when I'm proud of it.
KC is one of those gems that most people disregard as just another midwest town.
They don't know about the awesome art and music scenes. The gorgeous architecture. The people.
I do get weird looks from people when I tell them I root for the Raiders (as though I actually watch football lol). The Chiefs have, apparently, a long standing rivalry with the Raiders. And that I prefer Texas BBQ over KC (Texas bbq is a more vinegar based BBQ which I looove).
But by now most people tune me out when I mention, again, that I'm from CA. I can't help it. We just seem to do that. A lot.
So when the prompt for this week's Focus52 came up and was Your Town I got super excited to show of my Midwest home.
My home.
(note, I had to take photos with the boys with me- it's hard to walk a straight line let alone be able to take photos so I didn't get everything I wanted.
Most people don't know this but KC actually has more fountains in it then Paris does. Beautiful fountains:
Most people when walking through KC just walk and go about their business, never looking up.
I wish they would. KC has some of the most beautiful architecture. Most buildings are frosted with gorgeous work. In fact one building in KC (which I didn't get to take a photo of) was the inspiration for the apartment building in the first GhostBusters film.
This building isn't even close to the gorgeous architecture that lines the city streets:
There also very midwestern elements. Like the restaurant that's an old train car and the normalcy of a BBQ pit next to a tractor on the side of the parking lot:
Last year I decided I should do something nice for my husband so the nagging thought that I hate KC and wished every second of the day I was back in CA.
So I did the best thing I could.
I bought a Chiefs shirt.
Yeah. I like my town.
