When most people pass through the Prairie State, they take a snooze. Miles and miles of pancake-flat corn and soybean fields tend to have that effect. But not for me. For me Illinois has always been a place full of tremendous natural beauty. From the stormy shores of Lake Michigan, to the golden-green prairies, to the wooded hills of Shawnee, I've always loved my home state.

 

But life is full of changes, and now I'm making a very exciting one. A week ago, I packed everything I own into a rental truck and drove halfway across the country. I crossed the mighty Mississippi and said a last farewell to her muddy waters. I slid past Iowa's peaceful green hills. I passed through Nebraska's wide grasslands and, finally, into Wyoming, where the high plains greeted me with a gust of cool wind.

 

So here I am now, living in the mountains of western Wyoming and loving it. Next week I'll start posting about local issues here, but for those of you who've been following me in Illinois, I thought I'd make one last post about the great Land of Lincoln. Here are some of the faces and places that I have enjoyed. I hope you'll enjoy them, too.