A few weeks ago, my family went out to Kansas City. I grew up near there, so it was fun to show my husband around and visit friends. We went for a walk in my old neighborhood and even ran into some of my former neighbors! It’s been 15 years, but we still remember each other. I’d forgotten how many trees there are in the area! It makes Boise’s nickname (the so-called “city of trees”) seem like a joke. Eastern Kansas is so green and beautiful; I definitely miss it. I don’t miss the humidity, though.

In addition to watching the Royals lose (just like old times!), we also visited the beautiful Country Club Plaza. Did you know that Seville, Spain is Kansas City’s sister city? With the Plaza’s Spanish architecture, you can easily forget that you’re not in Europe. Here’s my obligatory J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain picture. I’d never actually seen it up close before, so now I can check this off my imaginary list:

 

If it weren’t for the US flags–it was Memorial Day–I could’ve nearly convinced myself I was in Spain:

 

Found an interesting pattern on the sidewalk. Photo opportunities can be found in the most unlikely of places if you keep your eyes open:

 

This juxtaposition made me laugh: