Hello Kansas

Well, our destination for the next few months has been determined. Not the Arctic, and not the beach. (for reference, see my post “ok God, so what’s the plan?”) And now the packing has begun. One day we were told we’d have a little break between locations, and the next day we were asked how soon we could get to Kansas. Once a friend and I were talking about being flexible, and they told me sometimes being flexible is still too rigid – you have to be fluid. That really fits how we’re living right now. I keep hearing Ross from Friends shouting “PIVOT!” 😂

We’re traveling with a bit more than just clothes. In an effort to make each temporary place feel like we live there, we have some books, boardgames, framed photos. We’ve got the record player and some vinyls, just for fun. And of course a few kitchen things we couldn’t live without, you know, like the espresso machine and my cheesecake pan 😉.

So now we pack for a few days, and say a prayer that everything will fit in the truck and the jeep. We do some research, make some calls, submit some requests, and hope we can find a place to live for the winter. And then we’ll drive for a few days, until we get where we’re going.

Some fun facts about Kansas:

• It’s known as the Sunflower State 🌻
• It was the first state to ratify the 15th Amendment, giving African American men the right to vote
• It is home to the largest ball of twine
• It is illegal to hunt whales (That one should be pretty easy!)
• It is also illegal to shoot rabbits from a motorboat (I’d really like to know the backstory on why this law is necessary)
• It is one of two sources of helium in the U.S.
• The Icee was invented in Kansas, and the first Pizza Hut opened there.

Honestly, I wasn’t too excited to hear about this next move. The thought of having a month or two off during the holidays did this thanksgiving-loving-Christmas-loving mama’s heart good. Still, we know that to be nomads means to be fluid – we adjust, we pivot, we move forward, we look for the silver linings, for joy and laughter and all good things. After all, Kansas’ motto is “Ad Astra per Aspera” which means “To the Stars through Hardships”.
That seems appropriate.