Unexpected
There are probably 3 things that I would state as unexpected during my trip to Kansas and I wanted to put them together in a post that not only explained those unexpected things but showed them too. The fact that I’m writing an article like this is the first unexpected thing, I pick up a camera every couple of months to try to capture the places I go and people I see and I really love being able to look back on what I capture.
I’d usually post photos to my Instagram story where they live temporarily but Sam pointed out that I should give them a more purposeful home. He suggested starting a separate Instagram page but I thought a great place for them to live would be right here so we’ll see but I think these photo round-ups are going to become a part of showing where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to.
My expectations of Lawrence, Kansas in all honesty were not particularly high prior to arrival. When you picture visiting a small town in the absolute centre of America it can be easy to take on the obvious preconceived notions of what somewhere like this can be. “Anytown, USA” has a strange stigma attached to it but I quickly learned that Lawrence has a lot of character and a lot to love about it. Everywhere you look, it’s easy to find something with a story to tell which I loved. But a town is obviously made up of people and we were lucky to meet so many incredible and kind humans during our visit that left a lasting impact on how I’ll view this experience. The unexpected thing about Lawrence for me was that I didn’t want to leave.
The last and most impactful part of this whole exercise is coming to terms with the scale of the experience that is watching a game of college hoops in the iconic Allen Field House. Again, when you’re told about the magnitude of a game here you’re told about the noise, the atmosphere and the immersion that you feel but even when you come prepared you’re blown away. I always said that my top sporting experience was watching Messi, Suarez and Neymar in a comeback 4-2 victory over Eibar at the Camp Nou. This has always been an obvious choice because it combined an iconic venue, world class talent and a great game all in one but as of now Kansas Jayhawks vs Texas Longhorns at Allen Field House has taken that crown.
A truly unforgettable experience with more than enough happening outside of the game itself. Seeing what the culmination history, pride and success of basketball means to the town of Lawrence is remarkable and something I’ll be talking about for a long time to come.
