Monday, August 3, 2009

2009 July: North

I'm writing this from a public library in Lewisburg West Virginia. Last week Becky and I packed up our things, said tearful good-byes to friends and family and drove to West Virginia. We left Monday morning at around 11:00. We drove through Utah and Wyoming on the first day and slept in Ft. Collins Colorado. We got to Denver during the morning lull,traffic was light; it was a perfect time to get through. We spent the rest of the day crossing Kansas. Kansas is very long. An hour of driving equates to like an inch on the map. But we finally made it through. We drove through Kansas City late in the evening and spent the night just East of there. We wanted to stop and see the Church history sites, but we didn't want to try to see them in a big truck with a car-trailor in tow. So we will have to stop on another trip across the country. The next morning we crossed Missouri, arriving in St. Louis after lunch. We crossed the Mississippi. I couldn't believe how wide it is. I've never seen it before. That day we drove through parts of Illinois and Indiana and slept in Kentucky. On Thursday morning we drove through the rest of Kentucky and most of West Virginia, arriving at our appartment at about 2:30. Historic Lewisburg is very narrow. It was built shortly after our nation was founded. The city planners did not have moving trucks with car-trailors in mind when they designed the streets. If I hadn't had years of experience driving a bus I'm not sure I would have made it. But we did in fact make it. We had a few members of the elder's quorum come over and help us unload. We have made friends with another young couple in the ward. He is also starting his first year of med school. They had us over to play games last night. It's nice to find like-minded people in unexpected places.
West Virginia is beautiful, green, and wild. Trees grow everywhere. There is a feeling that nature is pushing back; that if given a chance it would retake all of the space that people have domesticated. Many of the homes are very large, very elegant, and very old. I feel like I'm stepping back in time when I drive down some of the streets. Lewisburg is a beautiful place to spend a few years of our lives.
Our appartment is close to the school. I will use a bycicle to get to and from school, leaving Becky use of the car. School starts one week from today. We extend an open invitation to any who want to come and visit. We are about 4 hours from Washington D.C.
Stewart and Becky

2 comments:

Rob said...

That's cool that you live close enough to bike. I was tempted to apply to a job opening closer to my home just because I would get to exercise without loosing any time out of my day.

I now picture the trees of the east as formidable carnivorous deciduous trees with a hint of Harry-Potter-Whomping-Willow.

Stewart and Becky said...

It's funny you mention that because I think a distant cousin of the Whomping Willow is growing right outside our back door. It whomps me every time I go in or out. Come to think of it, I think it's getting closer to the door...oh no, there it is...Aah, it's inside! Help hel...