A Tribute to Kentucky

I went back to Kentucky this past weekend. A mere three weeks had passed, but already a kind of nostalgia has set in. It's not the city I was raised in, but it certainly has its high points.

I'm not a horse person, but there is no denying the peaceful surroundings of horse country. Crossing through the Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati the landscape slowly transforms into open, rolling hills neatly divided into parcels of land by stately uniform fencing. Horses stand in the well kept grasses, heads bent to taste the still green strands, or held tall warily watching the cars go by. Some wear horse blankets against the late winter cold, but most show off their glossy coats and flowing manes in the long winter sun. Everything appears postcard-perfect just feet beyond where the highway ends.

I don't really drink coffee either, but the presence of independent coffee houses, liberal social salons where people gather around their sugar concoctions and share in the knowledge provided by free wifi is still appealing. The city, although small by most standards, manages to boast at least three enlightened non-Starbucks options. At least one has a cute barista. These gathering places for the twenty something crowd are missed.

Food, I will admit, is a weakness of mine. I appreciate eating good food and making good food for others. Unfortunately when your options are 6 restaurants serving bar food and Walmart for groceries, both of these are hard to come by. There was German food and Chinese food and Indian food and Thai food. The Co-op made their standard southern biscuits and gravy for brunch and Liquor Barn was happy to be my provider for high-end baking chocolate. There was not enough time to eat all the tastiness that was being offered.

People are perhaps the greatest asset Kentucky has, and sadly is often the thing most made fun of. The people may be conservative, but if I put my car in a ditch, there's no one I'd rather have find me than someone from Kentucky. They may talk slower than the rest of the country, but they will certainly call you dear and make you feel like family. Guys don't let liberalism and gender equality stand in the way of chivalry. There's something familiar in the accents and the friendly driving and way people will just start a conversation with you at the grocery. The people are resolutely Southern in the best of ways.

There are so many other endearing attributes that it's impossible to do them justice. The dive bars and college parties, the hiking and picturesque main streets in small towns, the logically laid out city, the old, beautiful homes, the flaming yellow ginkgo trees in the fall, the farmer's market, the entire pace of life and how everything fits together - it all makes Kentucky a undervalued gem.

Kentucky may not be where I want to live forever, but I'm glad that I had the chance to dispel my preconceived notions and misperceptions. I would have been missing so much.