The city is fast. Everything moves, everything changes, and you have to keep up or you disappear. Here, things are slow. You know your neighbors. You know the seasons. You know which fields belong to which families, and you know the stories behind those families going back generations.

People think staying means you're afraid of the world. Maybe some of that is true. But it's also a choice. A choice to build something here, to keep traditions alive, to live close to the earth and to God. My life might look smaller from the outside, but it feels full to me.

The city girls, they got good jobs and nice apartments. I'm happy for them. But I see them when they come back for holidays—tired, stressed, always on their phones. And I think: what are they running toward? Or are they running away?

I'm not running. I'm rooted. And there's something beautiful about that. 🌿💚