The Days of Yore

There are so many things that I want to write about but I have to pace myself and pick one topic......today, I am missing my childhood town of Ames, Iowa where catching fireflies during the summer nights were the thing to do (as an 8-year-old). Ames was such a wonderful place to grow up. It had a small town feel without being too small, well, in my opinion anyway. There were 50,000 people with students (since it is a college town) and 25,000 when the students went home for the summer. It was snowy 7 months out of the year, but I like snow. I love wearing sweaters. Also, we have excellent drinking water and soil so rich that it's black. The people are friendly and the Iowa State Fair has a cow carved out of butter! When I tell people that I'm from Iowa, they kind of stare at me as if I'm either lying to them or they are asking themselves "why would anyone live in Iowa?" Also, apparently Iowa sounds a like Ohio and Idaho because if they meet me again they say, "Oh, you're the girl from Ohio" or "Idaho." Those picturesque towns you see in movies and wonder if they are real actually do exist, and they are in Iowa. I don't mean to sound snooty, it's just that I truly believe that Ames is a wonderful town to grow up in. Then again, I didn't grow up anywhere else, so I can't really say. I miss the streets named Lincoln Way and Duff Avenue. I miss walking through the Iowa State Campus during the spring when all the flowers are blooming and the entire campus is engulfed in the aroma of them. I miss stopping at the hub and getting a hot cocoa from caribou cafe during the winter and sitting in class while sipping on it to warm up. I miss taking neatly printed notes and highlighting main points. I miss coming home from classes and  watching a random movie with my roommates while we actually don't watch the movie and talk about boys and shoes instead. I miss going for a run at the cross-country course. I miss going to the North Grand Mall to go to a movie for a dollar. I miss a lot. I am also happy with life as it is now though too. I love having "family" dinners with my friends and strolling through old town on beautiful weekend days while eating a gelato. I am excited to go to a drive in and watch a double feature for just 6 dollars! I love how when it snows here, it is gone within the next couple days (although I like snow, it's fun to watch). I love how mountains are just 30 minutes away. I love getting a couple pizzas and going down to the lake and finding a cozy rock where we can purch and eat and then dive from (after 30 minutes of digesting of course).  It's fun to look back and appreciate the highlights from the past. Although I may long for the days of the past, I must always remember that life is beautiful and realize that many beautiful adventures lie ahead.