What Makes a City Great - Daily Ramblings

When I first saw this topic I began to think about all the cities I have called home, and what has made them so special. I have not lived in many cities during my lifetime, but the places I have I will never forget. So what made each of these places so special to me?

When I was a young boy I lived in San Manuel, AZ for a few years. A little mining town in the middle of nowhere. A town most people would dread living in because of its size. But I remember each day being an adventure. The desert was a block from our house and my friends and I would spend hours trying to catch lizards and horny toads. We would upend rocks in hopes of finding creatures, and build our reflexes if a scorpion or tarantula happened to make the shelter of the rock its home.

Living in Amsterdam for a month was a wonderful experience. So much history and beauty surrounded me around every corner I turned. More than the beauty though, the city had a wonderful sense of community that could be found in their cafes and markets, which would take up city blocks a day or two out of the week.

Being deployed to Iraq twice made that country feel like home as well. Like Amsterdam, there was so much history, but this time even more ancient. I loved learning about the country's rich and troubled history as we shared a meal and chai tea on the living room floor with one of the local families.

And then there is Ames, IA. A college town in the middle of flyover country. A region with humid summers and bone chilling winters. But a place with a very connected community. A place where I have laid roots and feel at home. 

I could literally make each city I have lived a post of its own, but here is the reality of it: I have found a city is what you make of it. Any city can be just as wonderful. Whether Ames or Amsterdam. Arizona or Al-Mahmudiyah, Iraq. All of these places hold a special place in my heart because they are unique in people, culture, food, and landscape. More importantly, they are special because of the people I was able to experience them with.

In short: people make the place!