Changes of scenery
Tonight I'm headed to Maryland for my brother's graduation and my cousin's wedding. My brother goes (or went, now) to Mt. St. Mary's, a small Catholic university in Emmitsburg, MD. (No, he's not becoming a priest.) People often ask me a) where Emmitsburg is in relation to a place in Maryland they've actually heard of (i.e. Baltimore), and/or b) you're Catholic? The answer to a) is, I have no clue. Much of my family is from that area -- a place with restaurants with names like Chestnut Logs and in close proximity to the Gettysburg wax museum -- so I've been spending summer vacations in cities that end in "boro" and "burg" a long time, yet if you asked me to get in a car from Baltimore or D.C. (the closest airports) and drive there, I'm pretty sure I'd end up in Delaware. And the answer to b) is, yes, but only by association. And I'm pretty sure my brother has only been in the on-campus church once, and I think that was because he was giving my mom a tour. I was amused, however, by the 18-year-old boys in priest-garb in the cafeteria. (They eat chicken nuggest like everyone else!)
But how, might you be wondering, am I going to relate this all back to Miami? Well, for one, the weather in E-burg this weekend: highs in the 60s, rain. In May. Really, it's just wrong. I have no solution for the graduation, but this is why there are destination weddings. I could use a weekend in Cabo right about now. Wouldn't we all? Or, hey, why not just have it down here? I wouldn't have to schlep to MIA and everyone gets a tan. It's a win-win, really. But what I like about that area is the fact that you can be in another state in under an hour. Drive into D.C. or Baltimore for the day. Take a train from D.C. to Philly or NYC. Down the road from my grandmother's house (somewhere on a mountain), there was a Mason-Dixon Line marker, where of course I took a picture of me (sometime when "jams" were popular) with one foot on either side. Driving is actually an aesthetically pleasing activity, with winding roads and the occasional wildlife spotting (hopefully not as it's darting in front of your car). Florida, as you all know, is a flat, neverending stretch of nothing. Nine hours will get you no where you would actually want to go. Nor would two hours, for that matter. There's only so many times you can go to the Everglades. Naples closes at 6 p.m. And why trek all the way to West Palm when I can find rich, Botoxed cougars right up the street?
But here's to changes of scenery, even if it's only for two days and raining. And 60 degrees. In May.
-- miaeditor
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Congrats to your brother and have a blast!
Posted by: aurily on Fri, 2008-05-09 19:42