My brother asked me what I’m doing for fun lately, what I’m doing to look after me. The question came after I complained for a while about what I’ve complained about for two years. Why the flip is looking for a job so difficult?! And BORING?!

I told him I went to Liberal, Kansas this weekend. He didn’t understand. No one did. Someone would ask, “What are you doing this weekend?” Going to Liberal. Then, they would look at me like I’d grown a second head. I was supposed to go to Branson, but when those plans fell through, my friend and I opted for a day trip a little more locally.

Inspired by the opportunity to be a cliché, we went to see Dorothy’s house and the Land of Oz museum. Man, I love tacky America. They had creepy mannequin munchkins I couldn’t bring myself to photograph. It'd make a good setting for a new Chucky movie. Chucky Goes To Oz (Slays the Wizard and only Dorothy and her friends can stop Chucky before he wrecks one disaster after another on the Land of Oz, but since all deranged munchkins look alike, the fab four have their work cut out for them. Blah, blah, blah. Blood. Gore. Mayhem. Etc.)

I use to live in Liberal. So I’m told. We moved to Wichita when I was three (I thanked my mother when I got back on Saturday for making that move.). My first memory is in Wichita. The house we lived in that one time we lived next door to a serial killer. I don’t remember the serial killer as much as I remember the color of the house was this mustard orange color. But whatever. I was three.

Liberal has some other fascinating attractions…

The library with a big, fat book on the front…


The starting line for the international pancake race…

It’s the race between housewives in Liberal against housewives in Onley, England, carrying a pancake in a skillet. Apparently, this tradition has gone on for years in England on Shrove Tuesday. In 1950, a church in Liberal challenged a church in Onley to a race, and they’ve been doing it ever since. I won't bore with more history than that.

Liberal has a Pancake Blvd. They call themselves the International Pancake Hub. A pancake hub should have pancakes, they should have an IHOP, but let me tell you this…they have one Pancake House in the whole flippin’ city and it closes at 1 pm. I was bitter. I had pancakes in Wichita the next day to sooth the disappointment.

Besides Mexican restaurants and car dealerships, Liberal has little else.

BUT Liberal wasn't the only excitement of the day, on our way there, we stopped at...

Greensburg, saw the World’s Largest Hand-dug Well. This town was flattened last year by a tornado. While a lot has been rebuilt, a lot hasn’t and the trees still evidence the tornado’s beating. They’re rebuilding green. It’s interesting marketing. They have this tiny art gallery that was designed by college students that is completely green. Even powered by wind.


Also stopped in this Deliverance-sque town to admire these freakish metal statues and designs. It was actually pretty cool. A little disturbing, but cool.


We saw some random things in random places. It was even a bit of a road to self-discovery, if you will. For example, we learned Vada cannot sit still or be quiet in a car, and that if I'm left in the passenger seat longer than 45 minutes, I become a backseat driver. Man, those people are annoying. I don't want to be those people, but knowing is half the battle right?

It's been over 2 years since I've taken any kind of roadtrip with someone else in the car. I've driven so much back and forth across 3/4 of the U.S. on my own, a long car ride is my quiet place. The result: I get bossy when I'm not the one driving. Mmm...

I know, I know. My world is so interesting right now. My brother said he’d put nepotism to work and get me a job in D.C., if I wanted it. I’m thinking about it. I’d rather move overseas or west, but I can’t keep this job-search-every-six months lifestyle up. I’m tired and would like a break.

I’m playing mommy on Wednesday. I get to take Jaiden to his swim lessons. And by swim lesson I mean, play in the pool with my nephew, because at 19 months, it's not swimming, it's clinging. Regardless, it'll be fun.