My Kansas City Bucket List: Ward Parkway/Running

Those of you who know me know that I’ve been talking about leaving Kansas City for some time. Some of you who really know me, know that it’s not about disliking it here but that I long to explore and experience other places. I’ve left before, and it was one of the best and hardest times of my life. I think I grew up a lot in Boston and I learned a lot in California.

I guess now is as good of a time as any to announce that I am moving; I'll share more details in the coming weeks. Yes, I'm going to San Francisco!

I’m excited and ready but in the past couple crazy months of job searching, volunteering, consulting, helping out at the house I live in and being poor, I didn’t realize that this is goodbye. Not forever, Ben and my families are here and we’ll be back often, but goodbye to living in Kansas City.

As part of my farewell, I’ve put together a Kansas City Bucket List of things that I’ve made sure to enjoy one last time before bidding adieu. So tune in over the next few weeks to share with me some of my favorite things about my dear Kansas City.

1) Ward Parkway/Running
My first year of graduate school I spent living with my dear friend and college roommate, Kristin Sullivan (now Calhoun). We lived with her grandmother in a beautiful house just west of Ward Parkway. We were close to everything: downtown, Westport, the Plaza, Waldo, Brookside and the lovely drives in between. My favorite was, and still is, Ward Parkway and the surrounding neighborhoods. Nestled right between Mission Woods, Westwood Hills and Mission Hills, this neighborhood is incredible. I hear it's even featured in the television show Switched at Birth.

That first semester of grad school was very hard for me. A friend died, my dog died, I had to study for and take the GRE and transition into school while working full-time. To cope with the stress, I started running each day when I got home from school. Running through the neighborhood and specifically down Ward Parkway was a calming and incredible experience. Especially in the fall when the trees are a variety of bold colors and leaves blow across the street, it's a site to be seen! The houses are incredible and my favorite is the mansion at 55th and Ward Parkway, the Mack B. Nelson house.

Even just driving down the Parkway is a great experience. So many active people are out on jogs, with their kids or pets, and the big church at 61st resembles a European cathedral more than a typical mid-west church.

This is where I really got into running. After I moved out, I kept it up and in October 2009, I ran my first 1/2 marathon. It was an incredible experience and I learned that I'm really not a long-distance runner. I enjoy it in pieces but long runs are a huge challenge for me. Nevertheless, I have run three more 1/2 marathons since then and found ways to enjoy them...

My friend Gillian, who was with me during the first three and Ben, my favorite running partner, who cheered me on for the first few and finally got to run with me on my last, have made it possible to love my races.

Not to mention my Kansas City friends who I'd find along the course smiling and cheering me on and my favorite water girl Laura Begley who's volunteering at Hospital Hill got me rejuvenated and to the finish line.

I know I'll run in San Francisco, it's a fit and active city and there is so much city to see. I've already sampled the Pan Handle of Golden Gate Park and what I've seen so far is pretty great. I'm not sure if I'll keep running races but I know that whenever I do run, I'll compare it to Kansas City and Ward Parkway. It's one of my favorite places in Kansas City and I'll miss it.