Oil, The Lifeline of Western Kansas

I am not originally from Western Kansas so the lifestyle took some getting used to when I moved here. How did I get here, you ask? I fell in love with my hunk of an oil hauler husband, who happened to be my best friend's brother-in-law. I had visited Kansas before then but never thought, "Oh, I'd like to move there someday." I've lived on both coasts but mainly grew up in Oklahoma so I was a little used to the country but I had never experienced anything like this before.

I fell immediately in love with Western Kansas the minute I got here. You can breathe. People wave to you driving down the road. Beautiful landscape to photograph. FREEDOM. I do admit it took a little getting used to not having stores right in town that I could go to if I needed things. It takes some good old fashioned driving to get things now. But that's okay because driving around here is pleasant!

One of the first things I noticed around here were the oil wells. They are everywhere. And for as many oil wells, there are truck drivers to haul the oil...one being my husband! He tried explaining his job to me but it didn't click until I went with him. I thought it was very interesting how the whole thing works.

There is a wide variety of  jobs and money to be made from oil in Western Kansas. Honestly, I feel like oil is what is keeping this part of the country alive. Almost everyone around here has some tie to it. From the land owner, the drilling rig company, pumpers, haulers, equipment suppliers, local shops that provide maintenance, etc. It doesn't look like it's running out anytime soon and I hope that it doesn't because I would be afraid of what it would look like around here. There are already too many neglected homesteads that are dilapidated on beautiful land with so much potential due to people passing on and children not wanting to continue taking care of the place.

I am grateful for the lifestyle oil provides for my family and friends. My husband and I would not have our dream home to raise our son and other future children in. This field of work is not necessarily an easy one though. It doesn't matter what the weather is like, they have to try to get out there and work. Sometimes, it is too bad for them to go out so on those days I soak up time with my husband because on the days he does work, I don't get a lot of it. But that's okay, he's home every night and I get to raise our son so it's a good life!