Lawrence, KS

February 26, 2014 11:18 / kansas thoughts / 5 comments

I am proud to live in Lawrence, KS, a college town of about 100,000 which has been my home for the majority of my life. Perhaps the most striking feature about my home is the amazing sky here -- nowhere else I've lived comes close:

Being in the tech industry, I'm often asked if I have plans to move away to a place with more jobs. I always answer simply and somewhat apologetically that I intend to stay in Kansas. Answering that way is so much less embarassing than explaining why I love Kansas. My home is very much a part of me, though, and I'd like to write just once about why I am so happy to live here.

The Lake

My wife and I live about a mile from Clinton Lake State Park and can follow a scenic walking trail from our house right to the water:

Growing up my friends and I spent a lot of time out at the lake camping, swimming, throwing parties and causing trouble. There were about 6 or 7 years where my Dad owned a boat, and those summers were especially great. It's still one of my favorite spots to go swim or take the wife and dog camping.

Our dog Mickey doesn't swim much, but we discovered a nearby creek and Mickey hangs out while my wife and I swim:

The lake is just South and West of town and there are numerous back roads and country highways that make for amazing motorcycle rides.

University of Kansas and Mass St.

The University of Kansas campus is located on a hill (Mount Oread) in the center of town. The hill creates a sort of natural boundary between the campus and the rest of town. It's a beautiful campus:

KU has an amazing basketball team, and though the tickets are expensive and hard to come by, my wife and I usually make it to a couple games each year. Here's Coach Self talking to the players during a timeout -- probably the best seats I've ever had!

Just east of campus is our downtown area. Massachusetts street is lined with restaurants, coffeeshops, stores and bars. It's a great place to spend the afternoon working or hang out on a nice day:

Family

My absolute favorite thing about living in Lawrence is that my family and my wife's family are all nearby (except my brother Jamie and his wife Katy, though hopefully they move back one of these days!). The support of people who love me unconditionally is something I couldn't do without, and by being close I'm able to feel involved in my family and know that they are involved with me.

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