a hoosier homecoming.

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! {cv} and I made it back yesterday from our Californian adventure, but today I'm off again to Indiana for work. So far, May is turning out to be the busiest month of 2011!  With eight days on the west coast and two weekends elsewhere in New England, I'm also tacking on this four-day trip to Indiana. You won't hear me complaining though! This is {sadly} my first trip back to my home state since last July. I just know that climbing off the plane and emerging in the beautiful Indianapolis airport will be a perfect homecoming. {My parents are even making the hour trip from my hometown in southern Indiana to greet me! Yay!}

All this talk of Indiana brings me to the topic for today's post: the idea of home. When most people think of Indiana, the contents of these three images might come to mind. For many, Indiana is simply a "fly over" state, with loads of cornfields below them. Indianapolis is also another easy thing to remember from the Hoosier state {hello, the state is in the name--so easy!} and a few people might even think of the Indianapolis 500. 

To me, Indiana is so much more. I spent the first 18 years of my life in its pleasant confines. When I left, I wasn't exactly sad to leave. I was ready for more adventure than my small hometown could provide. In the almost eight years since my departure, I have experienced more than I ever dreamed I could--and I know I still have so much more to see. 

With each passing year, I have realized I miss the idea of "home" more than I ever anticipated. I don't miss the small town gossip or the slow{er} pace of life, but I have found that I miss the fact that people genuinely care what is going on in your life. {There are a handful of people in New England who have this characteristic, but on the whole, it's one of the things I miss most about my Midwestern home.} I miss the sunsets over those fly-over cornfields. I miss running and having people honk to say hello, not to tell you that you're in their way. I actually miss the quiet sometimes too.

So, where do you consider your "home" to be? 

If you don't live there, what do you miss about it?

If you do, what do you love most about your home?

I can't wait to learn a little more about each of you from your replies :) 

Get ready for a little taste of California this week--but let's be honest, I took 1750 pictures, so these recap posts will be stretching into the next month. Have a great start to the week! xoxo {av}

{images sources: cornfields, racecars + downtown}