Some further observations I have noted about the north.
1. During fall, when the leaves are falling, rake them and bag them all. Don't expect them to biodegrade over the winter. The thing about below freezing temperatures and lots of snow means everything, even dog poop and all those damn leaves, just get preserved under a layer of tundra. Just like a freezer. I live in a freezer.
2. They use these guideposts to mark fire hydrants and driveways. The posts look like archer arrows, they're thin rods about 3' long that stick in the ground, you got it, so when it snows you can find your driveway!
3. People here get really excited about warm weather. I mean really excited. With the barest hint of a nice day, Lowe's and other home improvement stores are packed. I can't wait to see what summer looks like!
4. Spring cleaning. Yep, it actually happens in the spring. Not over the winter or the course of the year. Inevitably on trash day there are people who drive around looking for treasure, and they're apt to find some. Some piles are larger than others, but this is the only time of the year they'll be out on most lawns.
5. Birds, trees, dirt, seasons, they're all different here. It just seems to be much more diverse than the south. I've seen more turkeys than deer. More cardinals and blue jays than brown birds of any kind. There are brown squirrels and gray squirrels...
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, July 19, 2010
Moving Day!
Well today begins the big adventure. I'm moving from the South, where I've grown up, to Illinois. Hopefully eventually to Chicago. Lesson #1: the final 's' in Illinois is silent!
This wasn't a sudden or rash decision. I've been contemplating a move for awhile now; needing a change of scenery, some new space, an adventure. I'm not sure if it was the yearly family adventure to visit relatives in New York, or the fact that my Dad traveled frequently for business, or simply that I've always loved learning new things, but the truth is I've always loved going to new places. This is going to be really new!
Three weeks of good-byes to family and friends has culminated in everything I own on a U-Haul truck with my car in tow. It is an odd feeling. I'm leaving here and will not be back for some time.
The plan is travel slowly (the U-Haul travels 60mph downhill) toward Rockford where there is family to stay with while things are sorted out. As sad as I am to be leaving all I know, I am so excited about how much more there is to know. The dirt is different, the air is different, the seasons are different, the accents are different... will I finally see that the notion of Southern Hospitality was a truth?
This wasn't a sudden or rash decision. I've been contemplating a move for awhile now; needing a change of scenery, some new space, an adventure. I'm not sure if it was the yearly family adventure to visit relatives in New York, or the fact that my Dad traveled frequently for business, or simply that I've always loved learning new things, but the truth is I've always loved going to new places. This is going to be really new!
Three weeks of good-byes to family and friends has culminated in everything I own on a U-Haul truck with my car in tow. It is an odd feeling. I'm leaving here and will not be back for some time.
The plan is travel slowly (the U-Haul travels 60mph downhill) toward Rockford where there is family to stay with while things are sorted out. As sad as I am to be leaving all I know, I am so excited about how much more there is to know. The dirt is different, the air is different, the seasons are different, the accents are different... will I finally see that the notion of Southern Hospitality was a truth?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)