I love where I live.

Southern Indiana may not sound glamorous, but Bloomington is special place. It’s a college town, and very near the hippy-dippy-country-town of Nashville. Our population just about doubles when the students arrive in August, but they bring an influx of culture and excitement. Some of my friends call Bloomington “the town of requirement” : if you want it or need it, Bloomington probably has it. Limestone carving lessons? Check. Tibetan monastery? Check. Nudist communes? Check. We’ve got it all.

The land itself is special, too. Most of Indiana is cornfields, sure, but we’re right at the edge of the native hardwood forests, which cover rolling hills and shelter little lakes and rivers. We’re on top of limestone karst, too, which means you can find some serious treasures in the dirt:

Naturally occurring geodes! I picked this up out of a creek bed yesterday — exactly like this.

It’s nice to know there are little pieces of beauty around every corner, just waiting to be discovered.