Draw of the East
Moxie & I spent a month in the greater DC area working out an answer to the question I posed back in Wyoming, "Why would anyone choose to live back East?" Our data set may be incomplete and our methods unverified. But barring personal factors like family and funding, two disparate sources of magic stand out here: the buzz and the forest understory.
The buzz kept me high for the first week I was back. In DC for the annual meeting of a client, I schmoozed like the old pro I am, drinking cocktails on the roof of a posh downtown hotel, trading business cards, talking fast about politics and international strife. Sure, I drink and chat when I'm out West, too, but there's something electric in the air here that I haven't yet observed west of the East Coast.
But Moxie was far more smitten with the magic of the forest understory. When we hiked in Indiana, mayapples and trillium greeted us in their peak glory. In Maryland, the ladies slippers bloomed and Moxie waded through spring fern fronds, her tail like a flag waving above the green sea. The lushness, the endless palette of greens, the cool saturating air -- these are reasons to love the East. (But, I wonder, will we find them this summer in the Pacific Northwest?)
But what I really learned about East vs. West is this: There's no reason to pit them against each other. We humans seem to have an overwhelming desire to categorize things: black or white? Jewish or Muslim? stars upon thars or none? Categorizing makes us feel like we understand. But does it really help? Every place has unique characteristics that don't fit so well into neat boxes. Perhaps we can understand better by focusing on these instead of common denominators.
On that note, today Moxie & I are in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. This small town was founded on a lovely spring (or belle fonte) that then powered iron and lumber works. Today it's charming with Victorian-style houses nestled into the mountains, trains still running through town, and vibrant Spring Creek flowing through. Best of all, old friends M & M live here. We did some hiking yesterday and will do some more of that together today.
The buzz kept me high for the first week I was back. In DC for the annual meeting of a client, I schmoozed like the old pro I am, drinking cocktails on the roof of a posh downtown hotel, trading business cards, talking fast about politics and international strife. Sure, I drink and chat when I'm out West, too, but there's something electric in the air here that I haven't yet observed west of the East Coast.
But Moxie was far more smitten with the magic of the forest understory. When we hiked in Indiana, mayapples and trillium greeted us in their peak glory. In Maryland, the ladies slippers bloomed and Moxie waded through spring fern fronds, her tail like a flag waving above the green sea. The lushness, the endless palette of greens, the cool saturating air -- these are reasons to love the East. (But, I wonder, will we find them this summer in the Pacific Northwest?)
But what I really learned about East vs. West is this: There's no reason to pit them against each other. We humans seem to have an overwhelming desire to categorize things: black or white? Jewish or Muslim? stars upon thars or none? Categorizing makes us feel like we understand. But does it really help? Every place has unique characteristics that don't fit so well into neat boxes. Perhaps we can understand better by focusing on these instead of common denominators.
On that note, today Moxie & I are in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. This small town was founded on a lovely spring (or belle fonte) that then powered iron and lumber works. Today it's charming with Victorian-style houses nestled into the mountains, trains still running through town, and vibrant Spring Creek flowing through. Best of all, old friends M & M live here. We did some hiking yesterday and will do some more of that together today.
posted by Butterflyby at 12:26
1 Comments:
I'm glad you liked Bellefonte. It's small, almost too quaint, but it's (mostly) attractive. I've lived there ten years.
Moxie's adorable!!! A girl's best friend!
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