It’s been more than 6 months since I was last back in the Midwest. It’s funny how you can forget small details when you are gone for a while. One of the first things I noticed once I hit the open highway was the sea of semi-trucks. I had forgotten just how many of those things would be sharing the road with me. I’ve never really had a problem with them, but it does get a bit tedious when you are stuck in a caravan on a two-lane highway with nothing but orange cones for miles. One other driving item worth mentioning was the thank you wave. It has been a long time since someone bothered to wave a hand in thanks when I let them in front of me.
Old Friends and Older Music
While sitting in traffic one morning, I was scanning through the various radio stations and came across an old favorite: Bob and Tom. Sometimes they can be pretty funny. It’s just about the only morning show I could stand to listen to on the morning commute. So, I listened to it. Of course after that, I went shopping and bought yet another car doodad for my iPod so I wouldn’t have to rely on the radio the rest of my visit. It was either that or death by Journey and Fleetwood Mac.
Something else I had forgotten on the commute was the “vitamin yogurt” smell. There is this one section of road that goes past a Jim Beam plant and Grace Davison chemical plant. The result is this weird powdery, yeast, and fruit smell combo that I call “vitamin yogurt.” So gross. I completely forgot about holding my breath as I drove through there. There is another section of road near one of the malls that also has it’s own nasty smell. This one is affectionately known as “grilled meat butter.” I forget what kind of plant is located over there, but it smells like old oil from fast food fryers and God knows what else. The smell is so heavy you worry about it leaving a residue on you. Hmm. I probably missed my calling as a writer for Zagat's, huh?
Solid as a Rock
In addition to spending quality time with my family, I also had a chance to catch up with some friends and coworkers. It was nice to see everyone again and get caught up. It’s probably the most social I have been since the last time I visited. It is a startling contrast to life at home. I don’t make that observation in a negative way, but I would be lying if I said it wouldn’t be nice if some of my friends or family lived a bit closer to me. Almost everyone I saw this week asked me if I was happy with the move and if I had considered moving back. I think the move was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. I can’t say that I would ever choose to move back, but visiting is nice. Here is a picture that sums up what I think is really weird about the area.
Hard to believe I left that for this, huh?
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