Since my life is very unexpected and sporadic, as you can tell from my posts, Hesston and I made a last minute trip to Idaho. I had a friend who wanted to come home to see her family in Idaho Falls and it worked out that I could come home with her too. It's been about 6 months since I was in Idaho last, so it feels good to be back. Everyone keeps teasing me about coming back to get warm. Ha ha...it is warmer here, but North Dakota isn't so bad. As I'm typing this, Ted is texting me that it's -20 degrees in ND. The way I figure, once it gets past -20, it all feels the same, so it might as well be -40. I can probably say that, because I am inside most of the time, aside from driving from place to place. But, our cars have heaters, and the other stores/buildings have heaters too. So, living in ND is like any other place. You just dress for the occasion. In Arizona, when it was 120 degrees, we didn't wear our winter coats. In North Dakota, when it's -20, you don't wear shorts. It's really a common sense thing. Except for the high school students...they still wear shorts. On the really cold days, they might slip into a jacket. But most winter days only call for a sweatshirt. I hope I can acclimatize like they have someday.
As for North Dakota in general, I still really like and enjoy it. I think it's become even easier to like since we've moved into Dickinson. First of all, we have a house, and all our things inside it. Yea!!! And, our house payment is much less than rent. When I need groceries, I drive a mile or two. When I need gas in the car, I drive a mile. When I need to go to the post office, it's less than a mile. I've never lived in a subdivision before, and I actually don't mind it. I'm still not used to cars parking in front of my house (which belong to people who aren't visiting me or aren't mine), but I think I'll eventually get used to it. I'm also not used to wearing more than underwear around the house. Granted, garments cover more than the essentials, but still. I apologize to all my neighbors who have seen more than they bargained for, especially in the mornings or evenings when I forget that my house becomes a fish bowl when the lights are one and the drapes are open.
I love love love our neighbors and our neighborhood. I feel "at home" and extremely safe. We just found out that the mourturer lives a few house down from us, and for some reason that brings me untold comfort. Maybe because if anything were to happen, he'd be able to get me all taken care of quickly. Ha ha...
I also love love love my friends that I've made since moving to North Dakota. I never knew such nice, welcoming, friendly, and warm hearted people could live in such a rural, cold place. It's crazy...if I even get sick, before I know it, I have dinner at my house and a couple calls and texts. I just hope I can be as good of a friend to them as they are to me (you know who you are).
Overall, North Dakota is like living in heaven on earth. I love it. I love it more everyday. It is a perfect place to raise children. There are so many activities and people to get to know and help out that I feel like I've stepped into the best situation for my family.
I have really enjoyed every place I've lived, but there's something special about North Dakota. Maybe it's because we are where we're supposed to be, and that brings peace. Or maybe it's because the people are genuine and really care about each other. Or maybe it's because the area is so wide open and the "Cities" are still small scaled enough to know most of your neighbors on a first name basis. Whatever the reason, I feel humbled and extremely blessed to be where we are.
Being in Idaho has been a wonderful thing. I know my post is titled Idaho and I've talked about North Dakota. But maybe that's because my heart is still there, with my home, my friends, my neighbors, and most importantly, my husband. I can't wait to get back to North Dakota. For the first time in my life, I feel like I really fit in. I mean, I have family here in Idaho, and they mean the world to me...I just wish I could get them to North Dakota so they could feel the "Miracle of North Dakota". Trust me, there's a reason why it's become the happiest state in the nation. The people there have hope for a better future, and they're making their future better through hard work and service to one another. I guess I love the feeling of hope. It brings with it much joy and happiness.
