7 years ago we left Washington, DC for Manhattan, KS. People thought we were crazy for leaving such an exciting beautiful place for something as mundane as Manhattan, KS. In all honesty, I was a bit freaked out about moving to KS. I'd never lived anywhere as solidly conservative as Kansas and I had no appreciation for the aesthetic of the flat lands that constitute the Midwest. All I knew is that the living would be cheap, it would be safe and presumably an easier more laid back way of life than the one we had been living. We came to Kansas knowing that we would be here a while, maybe forever. While we were here I finished a degree, we got married, we had two children and we won a national championship. Kansas has been great for us and now, as we prepare to leave the Little Apple, I'm looking at this town and this place a little differently. My life changed so much here and I have learned a lot about the world and myself in my time here. So, for the next two weeks, I'll be blogging about some of the lessons I have learned in Manhattan, Kansas. My Ode to the heart of America.