I have been apt to often see grass growing more beautifully on the other side of the fence. A few more cows in the pasture over there. A whiter, cleaner fence over there. A manicured, orderly garden down the road. You get the picture. Comparison often does become the thief of joy!
So I thought one antidote to my wishful thinking about drifting back to Texas or even just living in a different, more "convenient" location in Lancaster County would be to chronicle things that I absolutely love about living in Millersville.
* I see a sunrise coming over a hill in the distance when I look out my back porch every morning (because, yes, Emily is up with/before the sun and we are usually eating breakfast together when the sun rises).
* Our neighborhood has beautiful, wooded walking paths. I literally walk out my back door and I am dropped onto a maze of walking trails draped with pine needles and tall trees.
* Our neighborhood has a huge pond with a fountain and swans who take up residence there part of the year. I love seeing this as I round the corner near home.
* Although a time and traffic inconvenience, I love that I have to drive through MU's campus just to get from my neighborhood to pretty much anywhere else in town. Seeing the college students reminds me of my college days and also reminds me that my husband is here for these kids. Part of his passion is helping these students learn.
* Greg's office is literally 1 mile from our doorstep. How amazing is that? Emily and I can stroll (when I'm up for all the hills both ways!) over to surprise him in his office. He can do an 8-5 day and leave the house at 7:58 and then be home at 5:02.
* Although not equipped with comfy couches and free wifi, there is a Starbuck's in the dining hall at MU. And that's within strolling distance also. :-) I have to really want the coffee since I definitely work off the calories during the stroll, but it is great to know it is there. Especially since the next closest one is 15-20 minutes away and not really on any of my normal routes.
* I just discovered a back road out to farmland that is enchanting and makes me want to stop in my tracks and just worship God for His handiwork. All this only a 5 minute drive from my house? Amazing. How did I not know about this before.
* Pine View Dairy is only a 7 minute drive away. We have now gone even more retro and have moved from buying our milk in glass jars to buying it in plastic bags that we then empty into our own pitchers. It is the freshest, yummiest milk and it is so healthy for you! And cheaper than what we were buying in glass jars and what you can get at the grocery store. They also sell to die for fresh ice cream. Not good for my waistline, but oh so good for my heart!
* We are only 10-15 minutes from Lancaster City. That's not a bad drive and there is tons to do in the city. I feel like living this close to the city has helped keep me connected to a bit of downtown culture, which is super important to me coming from the 4 million + city of Houston. Not that little Lancaster has much in common with a sprawling Metropolis, but just having access to fine dining, operas, and a library is a good thing.
*There are some great parks for Emily close by. I did always envision having my children grow up within walking distance to a park and we don't have that right now. But we can get to a huge one with many different playgrounds and a winding creek in less that 10 minutes. And one that is all rubber and plastic (good for staying clean!) and seems whimsical and creative to me.
* Millersville itself is on the old and slow side, but is has a certain charm to it. Stunning old homes with wrap around porches (there is one for sale only 10k more than we paid for our little townhome...oh right, this is the antidote post to the grass always being greener :-) ) and a quaint mom and pop grocery store.
* Being 25-30 minutes away from the closest Target, all the good restaurants, the outlet malls, and Gymboree classes means we save more money not shopping. See, I put a positive spin it!
I look forward to coming back to this list over time to appreciate my little slice of the world that God has provided during this time and to add to the list as I find new things to appreciate.
What do you love about your little slice? What is something new you've noticed this week about it?
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Wonderful post, Libby. A few weeks ago, a friend at work said, "The grass is greener where you water it." I'm often too quick to think about how I wish things were different instead of being thankful and grateful for what I have right in front of me. I hope you all are doing well transitioning into fall and into having a little walker around the house!
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