Lake Wawasee

          

It is pretty common to hear that Indiana is home to… nothing… The State of Indiana may be said to be home to flat land, corn fields, and not much more. Many say that they cannot wait to get out of the Indiana State and move to a more exciting location. For a while I thought the same about the State of Indiana, I believed that Indiana had little to nothing to offer me or anyone else. I mean, what does Indiana truly have to offer? Nothing, that’s what I thought. I wanted to get out of this state and garner new experiences in other countries, regions, or even other states. That was until I realized that there is more than corn in Indiana.

            It was the very first day of Chapter Visits for the State Officers. I had just finished presenting some curriculum to nearly 70 students at a high school in District II. I had finished the day a bit early and had some time to go get some food at a nearby restaurant. Mr. Martin, Leah, and I finished eating at the restaurant, which I will say had some fabulous food, and decided to go to one of the nearby lakes. We were in Kosciusko county in North Central Indiana. It may not be known by many, but there are numerous lakes in that county. Mr. Martin informed myself as well as Leah that he was heading to Lake Wawasee and invited us to tag along with him.

            I made the short two-mile drive to the lake, thinking, “oh it’s just going to be some oversized pond with a doc or two in the water.” However, once I pulled into the drive that lead to the lake, I was quickly assured that this was going to be a beautiful sight. Lake Wawasee, I could see it, the largest natural lake wholly contained in Indiana. I parked my car and walked with Mr. Martin and Leah to the Lake. We stood at the lakes edge and just looked off into the distance. I was truly amazed at the beauty I was seeing. I had never heard of any of the lakes in Kosciusko county, let alone Lake Wawasee. It truly was a spectacular sight.

            Ever since that moment, I have continued traveling the state of Indiana for chapter vists, I have driven the same car at the same speed, I was looking out the same windshield with the same eyes, but I was looking through those eyes with a different perspective. I was observing the natural and unnatural beauties the state of Indiana has to offer. From the beautiful Trine University campus in Angola to the massive windmill farms in Benton County and the endless cornfields to the winding rivers, Indiana truly has a lot to offer. I have now realized that Indiana is a beautiful state, that Indiana has magnificent features, entertaining attractions, and most importantly amazing FFA members that are showcasing this beautiful state. Get out and explore Indiana, there is more than just corn.

Seeing is Believing

Nathan Blume

2016-2017 Indiana FFA State Treasurer