Every time I drive to the north end of Okaloosa County, I think of a family I interviewed years ago who had moved to the country so their children could grow up playing outside.
They bought a large parcel of land just outside Laurel Hill and set to work taming it.
Instead, it tamed them. They moved their young children back to town after a few too many encounters with venomous snakes.
I loved what they did, while fully acknowledging that the pioneer lifestyle is not really my bag of shells.
I worry about my kids playing outside in a quiet cul-de-sac; I’d have to stand sentry over them in a more rural setting. And I could never live that far from a Target.
But the northern end of Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties are filled with folks who prefer wide open spaces and lots of nature to sterile playgrounds and crowded stores.
And whenever I go to one of those areas, I’m charmed all over again by the notion of having lots of land and very few neighbors.
I’m also struck by the difference between the southern and northern halves of our counties.
In just over 50 miles, you go from tiny scrub trees, blindingly white sand and pale blue water to thick woods, hills and tannin-stained ponds and creeks.
In the south end, one beachfront condominium might include hundreds of units. In the north end, you can drive for long minutes between houses.
A tiny convenience store in the north end becomes a beacon for folks needing everything from Tylenol to beer and bread.
Down here, in the space of a few miles, you’ll find dozens of stores selling everything from groceries and drugs to shoes, clothing, sporting goods and T-shirts.
In a perfect world, I would have a home in both places.
My home up north would have a screened in porch so I could enjoy nature without its many inconveniences like stinging insects, venomous snakes and other pesky critters.
My home down here would, of course, be on the Gulf of Mexico, where I would live a large-scale existence completely above my pay grade.
In the real world, I am suspended between the two, within driving distance of both.
I live in a neighborhood where the closest water is someone else’s swimming pool, but where there are stores less than 10 minutes from my home.
If you haven’t seen anything but your own neighborhood lately, it’s time to take a ride. Head north, head south and roll down your windows.
Make that one of your Christmas gifts to yourself.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Wendy Victora at 850-315-4478 or wvictora@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @WendyVnwfdn.