If you could pick any place to live, where would you choose? We thought it would be an easy choice but it turned out to be a five-year pilgrimage across the country a few times to realize home is not a place, but a feeling.
We live in a house to hold our stuff – but the feeling of love and safety makes it home. So whether we live in a house, a camper, a car, or a tent – if we have love, it seems we are home.
In our search for a new town, the goal was simple, embrace new traditions, revisit history, and find community. In reality, not so simple. There are many factors to consider when moving to another state. Technology makes it easy to look up state tax rates, school systems, economic development, and local tourism and feel good about a place. But that’s just data. How do we check the vibe of a town?
First, we visit the local library, usually filled with clues about who lives there. Next, find the grocery store and determine if they carry brands you recognize. Yeah, that’s a thing. Many rural communities are food deserts where grocery options are limited to convenience stores. Lastly, we visit the biggest cemetery in the area. Cemeteries exude a history of heroes, family, and tragic events. All these things combined create an attitude, a vibe, and an insight about a place.
A shift in 2020, certainly changed the way we think about a lot of things. While things settle down from the global pandemic, the world seems weary. Optimism is still scarce, people are skeptical, and travel is different. In our recent visits to many urban restaurants- you literally wait on yourself using QR codes and a cell phone. A real person shows up eventually with food. Change like this is inevitable, so we roll with it. 😏
Just prior to the pandemic, we settled in the small Midwestern town of Cuba, Missouri. Underneath a migratory bird path, the sights and sounds of nature are loud and clear from our front porch. Squirrels bounce about the trees as they share the landscape with countless critters. The horizon is void of mountains and seems to extend on forever. The sun delivers a spectacular show daily, but man, the heat is intense.🌞
Not knowing anyone in town, we set out to make new friends, learn more about the area, and find our space on the globe.
Lucky for me, I met Lindy Prevost at the local art store, Spirals. She introduced me to people who changed everything. Within a few weeks, I broadened my sphere of contacts to Include a local beautification group called Viva Cuba. What an incredible group! They literally changed the face of this town!
Anxious to learn more about this Midwest town, I jumped right in. With a warm welcome, Viva Cuba and the Crawford County Historical Society Museum invited me to help grow a social media audience in this quaint Route 66 mural town. The town of Cuba sits smack dab in the middle of Historic Route 66, which has always been a trip on our bucket list. Filled with quirky and historic attractions, I was like a kid in a candy store! Here’s what I found in the The Route 66 Mural City
Eric found his tribe at a place called Cuban Roots Cultivation. Tucked away on a hillside, behind the interstate exchange, this cannabis facility is an excellent example of great people doing great things. Eric spends his days using his green thumb to propagate beautiful things. 🌱
As for this Missouri location, it becomes more evident weather plays a big part in the decision to move. Currently, we live in “tornado alley”. We’ve been awakened to hear tornado sirens and alerts on our phones to seek shelter. Oh yeah, nothing wakes you to full attention than a lurking tornado.🌪️
As the weather and climate change, travel can be downright dangerous. We use travel apps that provide weather updates and state highway closures to avoid delays and severe weather events. In anticipation of the unexpected, we travel with a “Bug-Out Bag” filled with survival essentials like first aid supplies, change of clothes, and means to get clean water, etc. We’ve seen that life can be uncertain, so a little preparedness can go a long way.
Is Cuba, Missouri the final destination in this mid-life trek? Probably not. The utopia we seek is yet to be found. But like I said earlier – home is not just a place, but a feeling. 🏡❤️
Where to next? We aren’t sure, but we are always open to suggestions.
Peace, Love, and Exploration!
The Malcolms – Eric and Lori
humbleweeds.me
Feature Image by: Haven Ransom
Cuba Mural by: Shelly Smith Steiger
HUMBLEWEEDS 
You must be logged in to post a comment.