Thunderstruck

Sometimes its nice to find a common ground between past and present. I've been dealing with a little homesickness lately, but there are a few things in Florida that are almost the same as home. I find that very comforting. What has been comforting me lately are the intense afternoon thunderstorms we've been getting in St. Augustine. Like Nebraska, Florida is prone to wicked and sudden thunderstorms. (The only difference really being that Florida's usually occur during the mid to late afternoon while Nebraska's usually roll in right as dusk.)

In Nebraska I used to lay in bed with my window cracked to smell the rain and hear the booms of the lightning, occasionally flicking on the tv to make sure we weren't in a tornado watch. Here, I'll wander out onto our front porch and sit in the chairs. Or if I'm at work I'll gaze longingly out my small window. In Nebraska you can see the storms rolling in from miles and miles away. You know if they appear in the West or North they are going to eventually hit you. You also know if they form in the East chances are they probably won't move your way-- but if they do, it's going to be frighteningly fierce.

I'm starting to understand the pattern here in St. Augustine, but it's hard since it's a peninsula. It seems we get storms from every direction here. Plus, even though it's flat here, it's much more developed. Unless I'm at the beach, I don't know a storm is approaching until it's nearly here.

It's storming right now and it feels good. It feels like home.

I swiped a few pictures off my cousin's Facebook of Nebraska storms:

And a few of St. Augustine's:

I really am lucky to have called these two beautiful places home.