I made this as a present for one of my best friends, Kurtis.

I’m not saying that Memphis is flat…but it’s no Mountain State.  I never really thought about how much the land impacts my mood.  I should have known that being away from my hills would zap a lot of my energy though.  I had a folklore class that talked about the ‘sense of place’ that is so important to Appalachians, it’s one of the reasons that so many people never want to leave home.

I’m one of those people.  Living in a city is so oddly disconcerting…I just want to find a hill and roll down it.  People would probably think I was crazy, but I’m used to that sort of thing.

And missing home doesn’t mean I think any less of Memphis.  This place is great.  There’s always something happening or something to do, which is refreshing.  Back in Fairmont it seemed like we were always trying to find something to do, and yes it would sometimes mean going to Wal-Mart to walk around.  At the same time, all this bustle makes me long for a back porch to sit on…

Having this internship has made me realize quite a lot of things in the short time that I’ve been here, but the point that stands out most is how important West Virginia is in my life.  It has shaped my worldview in so many ways, mostly good but some that I’m working on changing.

One thing I know for sure, I’ll live in a lot of places before I settle down, but West Virginia will always be home.