Coming back, we pulled a small UHaul trailer with pretty much the last of our stuff out of my parents attic in Boyd, TX. We drove through two blue states and three red states on the way (not counting Texas, which is so red they've almost outlawed MSNBC and CNN in favor of Fox news 24x7). New Mexico was friendly and unique, Colorado was congested and smoggy along the front range, Wyoming was big, wide, and completely empty, Montana was dry and empty at first, then more interesting as one got closer to Idaho. The Idaho panhandle was beautiful, but on the way back, thankfully small. Texas was, well, hot. It was over 100 degrees and over 40% humidity where we were EVERY single day we were there. We're glad to be home where the nights are cool, and the summer days are temperate. This is home now, for us, I think.

Question (for all but Coeur d'Alene natives): How long did it take for you to feel that you belonged in the Inland Northwest?