Of all places....Arkansas

                            
 

 




If someone had told me that I was going to be living in Arkansas; I would have laughed. No way, not me. Why would I end up living in a state that I had never been before or had any interest in visiting. Well, you know what they say: Never say never!

I have been calling Arkansas home for about 8 years now. Four of those were spent getting my bachelor's degree at the University of the Ozarks. We moved out of state shortly after graduating and somehow managed to come back. I do feel like sometimes the state gets a bad rep.

The first time I came to Arkansas, was when I was on my way to the University. I remember at the Houston airport when they asked me: What is your final destination? I said: Arkansas. The guy looked at me and said: What can you possibly be doing in Arkansas? I replied: School, and his response, with a big smile: They have schools in Arkansas? HA-HA.

I have heard all the "jokes" about life in Arkansas. It doesn't bother me. I am used to people asking all types of dumb questions. Don't even get me started with questions about El Salvador. Do you have running water? Where do you shop for clothes? Have you ever eaten at McDonald's? Ayyyy Dios Mio! that is another blog post for another day.

Arkansas is a beautiful state. It has so much to offer. It forced me to re-discover my love for being outdoors. Tim and I have visited 25 of the 52 (or so) state parks Arkansas has. Our goal is to visit them all.
We love going on hikes (yes I do own a pair of tennis shoes). It is one of the best things to do; to be out surrounded by nature and conversation. We usually pack some snacks; so we can just sit somewhere and enjoy the amazing views Arkansas has to offer.

The winter months are coming, so there won't be many opportunities to be out. We decided to go on a road trip to see all the beautiful fall colors. I absolutely love this time of the year. Seriously, Arkansas is the best for tree-watching.
We ended up at the Cliff House in Jasper; thanks to a Facebook friend (Erin Hagar). I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day out with my family.

I think what I love the most about being outside, is that you can hear your thoughts so clearly. Nothing interrupts you except for nature. Take some time to go outside and enjoy the sunlight, or the rain, or the wind. Spend time alone with your thoughts, or take someone and enjoy a conversation.

I love this quote from John Muir (Author: My first Summer in Sierra: look it up and read it!) “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” 
This quote really does remind me of my time here in Arkansas. That is the way I feel every time we are out in nature.


Thanks for reading,