a sweetbriar on the open range.

H&M lace vest | H&M mint puff sleeve top | River Island distressed shorts | H&M fringe saddle purse

Sometimes it is just nice to get away from the city life. Koby and I decided one afternoon this weekend to venture out to the countryside. The blustery winds that dance across the vast open land differ from the seemingly tornadic ones that we normally dread from downtown. The dust bowl country has its perks, no doubt. Tumbleweeds wander aimlessly across an open expanse of stark beauty that people would not be able to enjoy in place where buildings and residences loom. Dormant grasses roll on for miles like a glistening, golden sea. Barns etched with old tales are the only man-made landmarks that the eye can capture. The dust bowl country can be mistaken as a formless land littered with lonely hearts, but really it’s a place that draws families closer, that makes neighbors that more appreciated, and where working for a dime is much harder.

I’m a huge fan of British folk music; Mumford & Sons being one of my all-time favorites. You may recognize this band from their songs “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man.” There is a song on that same album however, that is filled with wondrous poignancy and relevance to these times that we live in. 

Here is an excerpt from Mumford & Sons' “Dust Bowl Dance”:

The young man stands at the edge of his porch

The days were short and the father was gone

There was no one in the town and no one in the field

This dusty barren land had given all it could yield.

I've been kicked off my land at the age of sixteen

And I have no idea where else my heart could have been

I placed all my trust at the foot of this hill

And now I am sure my heart could never be still

So collect your courage and collect your horse

And pray you never feel the same kind of remorse.