today it was very obvious to me that i've changed in the past few years. 
 
kearney, nebraska is an exit many choose to take while traveling down beautiful I-80.  growing up, and especially in the summer, i would check the license plates at fast food restuarants or gas stations and note the exotic places the visitors were from--louisiana, california, alaska, etc.  i'd check and see what the final destinations of greyhound buses were and wonder about the lives of the people inside the cars and buses who only thought of kearney as a place to eat or fuel up instead of what it was to me--home.  i was jealous of those people.  i'd wish i were the one going places--if only i were on that bus that would be in los angeles tomorrow.
 
but this morning...
 
i made a quick trip to buffalo county's seat and as i passed the west/east interchange and saw the pick-up from wisconsin and the car from michigan, i thought to myself, "boy am i glad i'm not them with such a long drive ahead."  i was happy to be only fifteen minutes from axtell and familiar faces--glad to be home. 
 
 my wild spirit is currently in idle.