It's a Beautiful Morning! - Sunday/Monday in Northwest Arkansas

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Greetings from Arkansas!

Of all the places I visit in my travels, this one feels most like home away from home. The people are sweet, the bar-b-que is tasty, the scenery is breathtaking. When I get an assignment in Arkansas, I look forward to it with a special eagerness.

To get here I flew into Tulsa, Oklahoma, saving over $350 in airfare. I've made the 2-hour drive before, which is full of its own beautiful moments. Leaving the airport and heading east on US-412, I drove through a mostly flat section of the state before getting into the foothills of the Ozarks. The closer I got to the state line, the more the hills rolled. The plains gave way to wooded sections and soon, I was wrapped in a sea of green and blue - a far cry from the golden brown grasses of the Tulsa/Chouteau area.

And then, I was "home":


About an hour later I checked into my hotel and settled in for the evening. I'm still a bit jet-lagged, so I went to sleep around 8:30pm local time.

The next morning I woke up at 4:30am, worked out, ironed my shirts and got ready to go into the office. On the way I stopped at (where else?) Wal-Mart to pick up a few toiletries that I didn't pack. When I came outside I saw a breathtaking sunrise, full of color:


I got back into my car, and noticed that I somehow picked up a passenger. This was no ordinary passenger; he had the potential to be a serious danger - a grasshopper. I was concerned that he might jump onto me and distract me while driving. So I did the responsible thing: I photographed him in the event that I'd have to explain it to the insurance company:




Eventually I managed to shoo him out of the car. When I finally arrived at the office I met John, one of the new instructors here. He was helpful getting me into my classroom and set up for the day. The day itself was fun and otherwise uneventful. After catching up with friends from previous visits here I went out for some dinner. The rain was falling as I walked out to the car. Although I did get wet, there was the most beautiful double rainbow in the sky:



They don't call Arkansas the Natural State for nothing!

Blessings,
Khalaf.

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