I love living here

My wife and I have lived here in Leavenworth, Kansas, for about 3 and 1/2 years so far and I love it. We originally grew up in Nebraska and Oklahoma, and Kansas has been a great in-between for the temperatures and so on.

The best part of living here is the full 4 seasons we get each year. My favorite season while living here has been the fall where all of the trees and foliage change to beautiful colors in September into October. Another plus of living here is that we don't get a lot of snow during the winter season. The most we recived so far in a winter since living here was about 18" of snowfall. The worst weather we receive is the ice during the winters, but again, it's milder down here in this area of Kansas, so it doesn't typically stay for long.

Another 'plus' of living in this area of Kansas is the surrounding smaller communities and the events that they have. For instance, Weston, Missouri, is only about a 10 minute drive from Leavenworth. It is a cute little town nearby that offers many things to do in their main street area. There are many small shops where people can browse and purchase anything from custom made candles to an old fashioned confectionery shop. Since Weston enjoys being proud of their "Irish heritage," they also have a large "Irish Fest" each year during the St. Patrick's Day holiday. There are many other events for certain holiday seasons, but the St. Patty's celebration is a big one for Weston. The other smaller community nearby is Parkville, Missouri. They also have a smaller main street community with shops and so forth and it is a bit faster pace since it is encompassed by Kansas City. It is another pleasant town to visit for the day.

Having grown up in a larger town of Omaha, Nebraska, I love living here in Leavenworth. The town is about 35,000 people strong and can fluctuate to about 38,000 or down to 32,000 depending on the military influx each year. Most people do not like going to a smaller town having grown up in a larger town, but I believe I am one of the different persons who like smaller towns and the ambiance of the life in one. It's great to see people you know from church, work, or anything else while shopping at the local grocery store or Wal-Mart.

I love living in Kansas primarily because I am a midwesterner for life. I have lived in the midwest my whole life. I grew up in Omaha, NE, and then went to college in Stillwater, OK, and lived in San Antonio, TX, for a brief amount of time also. Finally, I have ended up here in Kansas. It is really nice that we are close enough to Kansas City so that we can do some things and get away for a little bit. However, I am normally happy to stay at home in town and do something 'local.' I guess I'll be a smaller-town guy for life.

Another bonus is that my wife's family still lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and my family still lives in Omaha, Nebraska. Therefore, we are right in the middle of both of them for travel needs. This location is a perfect fit for my wife and myself. It's a great place to live and I plan to make it our home for a long time.