The Simple Life

So I was on the road again today, this time to Dickinson, and I got to thinking about our life here in North Dakota. These road trips have been good for me because sometimes I start to feel like life here isn't any different from life back in California. But as I zip through the rolling hills, rocky buttes and expansive blue sky I realize how good we have it here. And I've come to the conclusion that unless you are blessed with this knowledge of the good life, you would have to have lived somewhere else to recognize its goodness.

We have no traffic. It's 99 miles from here to Dickinson. I make it there in about an hour and fifteen minutes. I remember when driving the 70 miles to my in-laws would take us almost three hours because of the traffic.

We have 0 to little crime. Though I don't make a habit of leaving my car unlocked even when going in to pay for my gas, if I did, my car and all its contents would still be there.

Strangers say hello and smile at you. If you need help, they are willing to give it. Men are still (mostly) chivalrous.

Schools do not have metal detectors, narcs, or gun-toting security guards.

Church is not a curse word. Even if the cashier at Kmart isn't a believer, they've probably been to church, still go to church or don't mind if you talk about your church. Even non-church-goers recognize that people go to church on Sunday. I love that we can't buy alcohol on Sundays and that stores don't open until noon. It would be okay with me if they were all closed on Sunday.

There's fishing, hunting, camping, and every other outdoor activity you can imagine. Dropping by a friend's house is not a big formal event. We work hard, we party hard. It's a simple life here in ND and I could go on and on about the benefits and advantages to living here over somewhere else. But, to sum it up in the words of a famous country song, "We're from the country and we like it that way."