Worlds Apart

One of the oldest unspoken traditions in the US is the peculiar habit of picking up our roots and moving great distances to pursue opportunities. Everyone in the US is descended from people who did this. Americans have the spirit of migrants, moving from one state to another in order to improve the chances ourselves and our families have of attaining the American dream.



Recently I began such a journey, leaving my friends, family, and fiancee behind in Portland. This has been one of the more nerve-wracking experiences, as I've left an environment I've lived in more or less my whole life. I've gone from living in a city that promotes walking, biking, and mass transit for a community and state that is wholly dependent on the car. Culturally and politically the communities are like night and day: whereas Portland is the stereotypical progressive city that celebrates secularism and diversity, Shawnee is a large town that celebrates its Christian (Protestant mostly) heritage. I've landed in a place that has a unique blend of peoples that is only possible in that region where the South meets the Midwest and the West. I'll explore these differences more in the future.

It's sunny here most of the time. And windy. OFTEN.

The first thing I'll mention is the weather, since everyone comments on it. Mostly it's dry and warm here, though in the week since I arrived it's rained some almost every day. Thunderstorms are a reality, unlike in Portland. And then there's the whole tornado thing, which I'll talk about another time, probably in a post in May, which is tornado season here. I'm not worried about tornadoes largely because I don't believe in worrying about things I can do nothing about. I'll just prepare and deal with it when it inevitably happens.

And for those friends and family members that are reading this: I do miss you all and will hopefully see you again in person soon.