A little under a year ago I blogged about my rural background and how my upbringing on a farm formed who I am today. https://brendanfetters.com/2023/11/18/drive-how-my-rural-background-formed-me/

There are few places on this earth that I feel more at ease than walking my family’s farm in rural south-central Ohio. It had been three years but I was grateful to get up for an extended weekend, completely free of work to enjoy life in conjunction with my college’s homecoming festivities about a month ago.

I made the all-day journey in great time thanks to leaving home well before dawn to get an early start and drove straight to the farm prior to checking into my hotel later in the evening.

There is nothing more peaceful than a several hour stroll through the paths that align the acres upon acres of wheat and soybean fields on a midwestern fall day in the heartland.

Aside from taking a few photos, it was just me, a calm breeze and the occasional chirping of birds as beans a wheat briskly swayed awaiting their eventual harvesting in the coming weeks.

It had been three years since I was up but far too long. Also, too long since I took a considerable break. I’m the first to admit I am terrible about taking time off. I have an army of friends and district colleagues who are working on me at improving this.

An extended trip to Ohio was a start. I’m getting there.

Being on the farm for a few hours walking around at the start of a fantastic weekend on my beloved college campus (another post to come eventually) made me realize how much disconnected time in nature really is both refreshing and needed.

With my dad now retired and family friends now running the day to day operation the overall appearance has shifted some. Gone are the days of a balance of corn and soybean operation. Corn is out and now an extensive hay operation is in place. That’s the tenants choice. However, the overall look is very much the same as it was when I was growing up.

So peaceful always. So many memories of my paternal grandparents, farm hands, summers bailing hay and straw with my dad, helping sew fall wheat, fall harvest, spring planting and even in my younger days when we still had animals – helping move hogs and cattle around.

All these memories came flooding back as I walked. Peaceful. Needed. Such a shift in pace from my nonstop day to day in leading a large urban/suburban middle school.

My biggest takeaway from this two hour walk was yes – checking on my family’s property but even more so the importance of rest, relaxation and complete disconnection far, far away from the realities of life. I need to more of this — much more.