I either want to live in a big city or out on a farm. I don't really enjoy the in between, although there are pros and cons to everything. I usually tend to hear the farm calling my name, though. I've spent a lot of time on farms, in creeks, in fields, and all those memories I have pull at me daily. I love horses, being able to fly a kite in an open space, and having peace and quiet. I love that if you need something, you can't necessarily go get it right then. Entertainment most likely doesn't involve swing sets and trampolines, but rather, some dirt and an imagination.
My best friend lives not on a farm but in a rural area and I always had more fun there than I did anywhere else, especially as a child. We would dip our tiny toes into the cold, pure water of the creek and build dams to create waterfalls. We'd watch the water strider float on top of the water and wonder if the electric fence that crossed the creek would shock us. We'd run through the maze of grass her dad cut, create a fort in her closet, and play hide and seek inside her house. The list goes on. The adventurous mind a child has when away from electronics is astounding and as I see my generation grow less fond of the simple joys, I wish I could show them what fun really looks like. I haven't been on many vacations in my life and I haven't gotten everything I wanted but I have the most precious memories with my friends and I hope nothing ever takes them away.
Sometimes I go on a photoshoot to a new place or I travel to see a friend and almost always, the location involves lots of land and/or animals. My mom has a friend who lives not far from us and her house isn't manicured but it's so lovely and quaint. It sits on a small bit of land and yet she has four cats and a barn of chickens. I walked into her backyard one day for the first time and wished I could move into her miniature storage house turned into a living space. She had transformed the paneled walls by decorating them with artwork, tools, and curtains. She had built stairs to the tiny upstairs that held only a bed, and she even had a little couch. The space was smaller than a dorm room but cuter than anything.
What I love is that everything sparks an idea in someone, some differently than others. All my memories bring me joy and create a picture of what I want my future life to look like. I know that's crazy and probably bad if I end up being disappointed but it's my form of creativity. If my memory was taken away, I don't know what I'd do.
What did you do as a child? Would you rather live in the city or on a farm?
