Homes Sweet Homes

I recently returned to Southern California from a visit home to the Midwest, where the highways are so straight, well-maintained and uncluttered, you can drive for miles with your knees.
Where a massive four-bedroom, three-bathroom house on an acre and a half of land costs less than $200,000.
Where an acre and a half of land actually means something, because it's beautifully, naturally wooded and landscaping means you mowed. And because your neighbor's house is on an acre and a half of land too, you're not hip to hip with your neighbors.
Where fluffy clouds dot the skies.
Where you can tell there are fluffy clouds in the skies because you can actually see the sky.
Where everything smells clean after it rains.
Where visitors to a college campus can wander as they see fit and even get invited to have sodas in the air-conditioned buildings.

Going home is like having my soul recalibrated; everything is more clear, not just the skies.