1. New Englanders do not sell, make, or know about pimento cheese. Such a shame.
2. Boston does have Chick Fil A's but you have to purchase your meal to go and hide it until you get home and eat it in secret. Otherwise, folks think you are making a political statement.
3. The roads are really bad... like, wow, I think I'm driving on the surface of the moon bad.
4. North Shore drivers are super nice! Shocking! When I need to turn left onto a busy road, it's not uncommon for people with the right of way to stop until I can make my turn. Everyone stops for pedestrians... even when you aren't at a cross walk. Even in really busy streets, folks in all lanes of traffic will stop during my run to let me get across. ... and they do the Southern hand wave thing...
5. Boston is beautiful. It is such a walkable city. Such a pity the accent is so hideous.
6. Folks don't really wear bright colors or prints... but, that might be just because I'm not in Asheville anymore.
7. I haven't seen one pair of Chocos here. I've heard that 4 hours north in Burlington, Vermont, I'd find a ton. Need to do a road trip up there this winter... they have SNOW SHOEING!!!
8. A ton of people have swimming pools in their backyard, which is funny because they can't really use them very often. My best guess for the large pool in yard-per capita is that air conditioning is not a given up here so the only relief is water???
9. They have these high wand-like things that stick up from all fire hydrants and I couldn't figure out their purpose until it dawned on me that this is the only way for the fire department to know where they are in the winter when the snow gets really high. ugh... I'm kinda scared of winter here, but the alternative is no snowshoeing so...
10. Boston lingo... Peabody (a town nearby) is Pee-bity, Target (the store) is Taaa-git, yesterday is yestadey, Labor day is labah day, and parking your car is paahking yah caaah. God, help me preserve my y'alls and all those other lovely southern tones... I'll never be ashamed again of those great sounds.
11. Not much diesel fuel. And, most pumps are full service, so you have to sit there while someone pumps your gas, feeling like a silly, stupid princess. : (
12. There are a TON of signs all around that just say "children." I guess that is communicating that children live nearby or that some might be playing nearby. Oh, and horses are not allowed on the interstate, or so the signs say. Good to know.
13. Dunkin' Donuts is like some kind of kudzo weed that is seeping onto every turn and street corner around here. It's actually a little creepy.
14. I will never complain about traffic in Asheville again. Asheville doesn't have traffic, just "more cars than usual and things are moving slower."
15. You can actually feel the faster pace of living and intensity here. It hovers and hangs "out there."
16. The ocean is beautiful. I understand why the pilgrims wanted to stay here, despite the whole starvation thing.
17. The oldness of everything is really wonderful. Nothing is contrived to look old. It just is. Each town I pass in and out of boasts a founding in the 1600s. Pretty cool.
18. There is a pretty decent folk music community here. There is an entire radio station that only features folk artists. Yay!
19. Another shocker... yankees listen to country music. I'm not kidding. I hear it blaring from people's cars.
20. One word. Wicked.
2. Boston does have Chick Fil A's but you have to purchase your meal to go and hide it until you get home and eat it in secret. Otherwise, folks think you are making a political statement.
3. The roads are really bad... like, wow, I think I'm driving on the surface of the moon bad.
4. North Shore drivers are super nice! Shocking! When I need to turn left onto a busy road, it's not uncommon for people with the right of way to stop until I can make my turn. Everyone stops for pedestrians... even when you aren't at a cross walk. Even in really busy streets, folks in all lanes of traffic will stop during my run to let me get across. ... and they do the Southern hand wave thing...
5. Boston is beautiful. It is such a walkable city. Such a pity the accent is so hideous.
6. Folks don't really wear bright colors or prints... but, that might be just because I'm not in Asheville anymore.
7. I haven't seen one pair of Chocos here. I've heard that 4 hours north in Burlington, Vermont, I'd find a ton. Need to do a road trip up there this winter... they have SNOW SHOEING!!!
8. A ton of people have swimming pools in their backyard, which is funny because they can't really use them very often. My best guess for the large pool in yard-per capita is that air conditioning is not a given up here so the only relief is water???
9. They have these high wand-like things that stick up from all fire hydrants and I couldn't figure out their purpose until it dawned on me that this is the only way for the fire department to know where they are in the winter when the snow gets really high. ugh... I'm kinda scared of winter here, but the alternative is no snowshoeing so...
10. Boston lingo... Peabody (a town nearby) is Pee-bity, Target (the store) is Taaa-git, yesterday is yestadey, Labor day is labah day, and parking your car is paahking yah caaah. God, help me preserve my y'alls and all those other lovely southern tones... I'll never be ashamed again of those great sounds.
11. Not much diesel fuel. And, most pumps are full service, so you have to sit there while someone pumps your gas, feeling like a silly, stupid princess. : (
12. There are a TON of signs all around that just say "children." I guess that is communicating that children live nearby or that some might be playing nearby. Oh, and horses are not allowed on the interstate, or so the signs say. Good to know.
13. Dunkin' Donuts is like some kind of kudzo weed that is seeping onto every turn and street corner around here. It's actually a little creepy.
14. I will never complain about traffic in Asheville again. Asheville doesn't have traffic, just "more cars than usual and things are moving slower."
15. You can actually feel the faster pace of living and intensity here. It hovers and hangs "out there."
16. The ocean is beautiful. I understand why the pilgrims wanted to stay here, despite the whole starvation thing.
17. The oldness of everything is really wonderful. Nothing is contrived to look old. It just is. Each town I pass in and out of boasts a founding in the 1600s. Pretty cool.
18. There is a pretty decent folk music community here. There is an entire radio station that only features folk artists. Yay!
19. Another shocker... yankees listen to country music. I'm not kidding. I hear it blaring from people's cars.
20. One word. Wicked.
2 comments:
oh such great cultural commentary ruth! love it. and helps raise my thankfulness bar for where i am. love and miss you! and oh, it's me, rachel.
ruth vann you are hysterical! I hope this blog doesn't go away in a year!
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