new eyes

I'm back in America, and I feel like I see things differently. I have made the drive between Eau Claire and Chicago countless times, but when we drove that way just a few days after flying in, it was the most beautiful it had ever been. Green, rolling hills, lots of trees . . . it all looked almost foreign to me. Being in small towns off and on the last few weeks, I've appreciated little cafes and motels, friendly (English-speaking) strangers, and lots of things that feel specifically "American."