Struggling to get packed for the road, again, I realized I was not struggling with the packing – but with the trip. I was going home, again.

Home is southeastern Colorado, a place I dearly love to spend time. But, I’ve been gone long enough to feel as if home is where I now live. The city calls to me when I’m in Lamar, but Lamar calls when the traffic surrounds me in the city.

Nothing I could do moved that struggle out of my way and I needed a break. With most of the packing done, I settled on the deck with a cup of hot tea to figure out what it was I was struggling with. Birds chirped in the valley below us. Traffic droned on the highway. Squirrels played in the tree and in the distance soccer players ran their goals.

No trains rumbled through the community where I now live, and there’s no sound of trucks on the highway. The traffic is made up of commuters on their way to the tech center or headed downtown. In this small pocket of the big city, life isn’t so hectic, and I’m loving the time with my grandchildren and my kids. My kids love the city.

With views of the mountains on the west and views of the prairie on the east, our deck is a favorite place to spend time.

Then I realized, my struggle with going home is no view of the mountains. There’s just something missing if the mountains aren’t on the western horizon. So, for those of you who love Lamar and can’t think of any way to improve it. I have a suggestion…

Build some mountains on the west!