We have plenty of people in our lives who don’t understand why we live in Bismarck, North Dakota. They argue that there’s nothing to do, winters are awful, the landscape is flat and boring, airline travel is limited, you name it. And add to it the fact that we moved away from the suburban Twin Cities, or at least the admittedly also beautiful northern Minnesota lake country.
But this past month is a perfect reminder of why we live here.
Because within minutes we can be nowhere. No people. No sound. No service. Just the lively buzzing of the prairie. Which may appear flat and boring on the surface but at toddler level is a miniature forest full of life. Crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, millipedes, snakes, milkweed, wild licorice burrs, rocks, feathers and dirt.
There is in fact so much to take in as we play near the tailgate, nestled away down some two-track while dad and the dogs shoot grouse. Maybe mom can have a turn at the next spot.
We can while away a day riding our Strider bike, filling our toy trucks with assorted treasures and chatting about life. The dogs may be panting but I can see the glimmer in their eyes, especially Fins who knows what lies ahead.
It’s not really about the hunting; it’s the returned purpose and pursuit that has been missing from our lives for months. The reason to hit the gravel, have snacks for dinner, and stay up a little too late for a weeknight.
Coupled with a world that feels so heavy, especially as of late, an evening on the prairie makes me feel so light, so carefree and so sure this is the life for me.
Sure, most places to live offer outdoor recreation, parks, trails, campgrounds. But those are structured. They’re on a map, labelled as such so that anyone can find them. It’s convenient and we like those things too.
But the prairie is untamed. Nobody can get Google directions to our little hideaways. They’re just ours, or seemingly so while we’re there. There’s no set way to enjoy them. Aside from everyday laws and hunting regulations, we can do whatever we want. Pee in the dirt or have a tailgate dance party.
And in a time when everything is so predictable and safe, when you can just ask AI what the answer is, I think so strongly that what we need is the opposite. An evening of free play, even as adults. Places where anything can happen, where at first glance it appears there is nothing to do.
Or at least I know that’s what I need. Based on how happy September on the prairie made me feel.
