Returning to the South
And the things I never appreciated
Last week, I told you that I was on a 2,100-mile journey with my son, from Milwaukee to Rochester to Dallas. Well, we made it, and the car is unpacked, and his things are in his tiny apartment. I don't know the square footage, but the volume would be impressive because of the 10-foot ceilings. At least he will have an excuse not to change the lightbulbs.
The journey's been a lot of fun, despite some tense driving situations. These are all due to the fact that I am bad at reading a map but worse at giving directions. Add to that the fact that we moved in on the hottest day of the year. 96º. At least it was only up one flight of stairs!
After living in Texas for 13 years, I knew what to expect — hot weather, pickup trucks, long red lights, and lots of traffic. These things are still here, but it's the small things that I didn't appreciate.
We stopped in Texarkana, Arkansas for a night. At dinner, the waitress was friendly. Then, we went to check into the hotel. Turns out we went to the wrong one! Why put a Holiday Inn and a Holiday Inn Express next to each other?!? Anyway, the two people at the front desk were quite talkative. The same thing at our actual hotel.
We traced the behavior back to Columbus, OH actually. From that point on, the staff at restaurants, people at front desks, and people in parking lots were super friendly. Even in elevators! It seems that we must have a conversation before settling down to business. It reminds me of Europe, actually. I always thought the Midwest was friendly, and it is compared to our experience in Upstate New York, but it's nothing like the South.
The other thing I never noticed is the number of restaurants. They are absolutely everywhere. Vietnamese, Indian, BBQ, Shabu Shabu, Japanese, Mexican, Korean, Chinese, delis, and donut shops. I'm so jealous of my son, although as a poor co-op/college student, he can't afford them or to shop at Whole Foods, which is literally across the street.
But, the most important discovery I've made is that the unsweetened iced tea is far superior to anything I can get at home. I don't know what's different about it, so I will research that when I return home. Meanwhile, I'm drinking as much of it as I can!
I'm looking forward to getting back to my kitchen. Yesterday at lunch, I had a terrific pizza, Fiori di zucca, with zucchini slices, zucchini blossoms, and Scamorza cheese. It was not only delicious but beautifully presented. It also made me ask why I stopped using fresh Asiago and Scamorza as the cheese on my pizzas. That's my favorite combination. Looks like pizza experimentation is on the agenda!
When I move from Milwaukee later this summer, I wonder what I will miss. One thing is Amy's caramel apples, but they ship! I'm going to try to soak up Milwaukee while I can, but I'm also looking forward to my next adventure.