Nightglow Window

Anyplace?

Today I took a short walk down to Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis, following the creek until it emptied into the Mississippi. "The beautiful falls of Minnehaha are sufficiently celebrated -- they do not need a life from me, in that direction." Mark Twain wrote that and I'll follow his lead. But the visit got me thinking about what gives you a sense of place -- an affinity, if you will.

I'm a So Cal boy. I lived for three years in Northern California through junior high, but the rest of my years have been spent within 35 miles of Carlsbad. When I went to SDSU for college, my parents moved to North Georgia. The visits there gave me perspective on a lot of things, including the hypothesis that I could probably live anyplace and be happy.

Since then I've had a chance to see far more of the U.S. -- and a bit more of the world -- so does my earlier hypothesis still stand?

Hard to say. I've learned that some places are far more appealing to me than others. Beauty knocks me over the head in North San Diego County -- because I love the ocean so much. I can't ignore it -- even if I wanted to. Having an affinity for your surroundings is important, but you can find that pretty much anywhere, right? Walking the green trails of Minnehaha, my answer was, "Well, yes. Probably."

Some places just take more effort than others.