Prairie Charm

Flowers from the farmers market grown here in good 'ole Cheyenne

Standing up to introduce myself in my college German class, I said "Hi, I'm Alyssa Brown, from Cheyenne, Wyoming." The girl to my right gasped, "Wyoming!"

"Yep, bet you've never met anyone from there before" I said with a smile, my way of trying to be positive before their typical story: "I hate that wind. We got stuck there in the winter when I was 14 because the pass was closed. It wasn't snowing or anything, but huge gusts blew the semis over!..."

"That is so cool!!!!" She said it with such sincerity and enthusiasm it made me laugh.

"Really? Why?" came my baffled response.

"I think it is SO beautiful! Ever since I was little I've wanted to live in Wyoming or Montana. The open spaces, trees, beautiful landscapes. It's just so gorgeous! I used to go visit my uncle in Montana at his ranch. My dream life is to live in Montana or Wyoming, own a ranch with my family and be a scout leader."

This girl, Kasia, and I became fast friends.

It's true, the prairie has a beauty all its own. I grew up and moved away, moved to Boston and Silicon Valley. I came to crave the open spaces, bright golden sunsets -- noticable because there are no buildings in the way, light shining through the cloud in columns -- it looks like Heaven is shining down, cotton ball clouds, electric storms, hoar frost, clean air, waking up to bright golden light cascading across the fields, a rocky mountain view out my window, 320 sunny days a year...we have it good.

When we moved back to Wyoming, I got off the airplane; as my mom drove me back home she turned on the perfect song: "Cowboy take me away." Looking out at space, just fields and open skies I cried. I could breathe! The words expressed the feelings of my open heart:

"I want to touch the earth

I want to break it in my hands

I wanna grow something wild and unruly

I wanna look at the horizon

And not see a building standing tall

I wanna be the only one

For miles and miles

Except for maybe you

And your simple smile

Oh it sounds good to me

Cowboy take me away

Closer to heaven above and

Closer to you."

For our family, moving to wide-open spaces was a change of pace; a change of lifestyle. Dan comes home for lunch and for dinner whenever it's ready. We work the land. We're back to the earth, grounded in more ways than one. ​