Wide Open Spaces

Today, Jacob wrote a three part series on why he loves astronomy. I guess you could say that I was inspired to write a post similar to his. It's not about astronomy though. Actually it's more about something that I long for. I long for wide open spaces.
A couple of months ago, I posted an entry about a childhood dream of mine. The post is here, but today I thought that I would go a little more deeply into why I want to live in a cabin in the woods.
When I was five years old, my family and I moved to Colorado Springs, CO. Colorado Springs is famous for its skiing, its mountains, and its Air Force Academy, where my dad was teaching at the time. I guess you could say that I was "surrounded by nature." I quickly learned that the Rocky Mountains were to the west. Every day, I would get up, go to school, and see the mountains towering behind the school building.
I loved it there. There were trees in my backyard, and most of the days I remember revolve around blue skies. There were no huge skyscrapers, or anything between myself and the mountains.
Colorado Springs is where my imagination flourished. I would have countless stories in my mind about witches, princesses, or just normal people going on adventures. It was a place where I could breathe. It was a place that was simple.
I don't know what my occupation will be in life, but whenever I think of my future, I'm in a place surrounded by green fields and trees, and beyond them, mountains. I'm always in my kitchen, holding a cup of tea, and looking through a window, watching as the sun comes up.
So yes, I want wide open spaces, and I miss wide open spaces. I want a place where I can go outside and dance in the rain,  roll down a grassy hill, climb a tree, or even just sit under a tree and read a book.
I want to go out west. I've sometimes dreamed that I could go on a road trip, maybe with a couple of friends, and explore the west. There are places out there, not penetrated by skyscrapers or factories. Those places are the places that I think are beautiful. Those places are the places where I want to go.