Things I've learned from becoming a Kansan

Since becoming a Kansan, I've learned a couple of things

1. People will give you directions using cardinal directions. (It's taken me years to get used to this).

2. I am absolutely horrified of tornadoes.

3. Never ever complain about any type of moisture that falls from the sky

Okay, I am going to stop you right there before you make tornado jokes in the lines of "how can you claim to be an Kansan if you are afraid of tornadoes?" Or send me pictures like this horrifying one from Hutchinson taken last year. Tornadoes are no joke. Even though the only tornado I've ever seen in real life was in Illinois, that does not stop me from being convinced that the "end is near" any time we have a large system coming through the area.

What makes it worse I think is that we know these big storms are coming hours, sometimes days in advance. Such was the case on Tuesday of this week. I spent most of the day in pure anxious agony because the internet (and some of my co-workers) would not stop shouting about it. That is really not helpful. It makes me feel as if all of us living on the prairie are living in death trap or that tornadoes are really like a giant game of Russian roulette that I did not agree to play.

Thankfully, it was not as near bad as the internet was predicting. (And thankfully I live in a house with a basement now). Still, when it was storming bad outside, I couldn't help but wish that it was all going to be over soon.

Which brings me to my third point; never complain about rain.

I honestly don't know if it is always like this here, but during my 5 years of living in Kansas we have always needed rain. Some years it's been worse than others. So I know when it's storming hardcore outside that I really should be grateful. But that is super hard when I also feel terrified for my life, even if it turns out in the end to be irrational fear. Just another Tuesday, whatever.

Another good thing about this crazy storm that blew through here is that it cooled everything down again. This weekend has been rather chilly (or rather how the end of April probably should be). While this means I did not get the rest of my garden planted (it's fine, there is always next weekend), it does feel as if there is an extra buffer from it suddenly getting unbearably hot too soon. And for sure I can be grateful about that.