November, 2014 - Boston, Ma
I had the distinct pleasure of attending a marriage celebration for two very dear friends of mine last weekend. This occasion allowed for a core group of my college friends to reconvene for the first time in many years, and it was a lovely, memorable time.
I was able to spend time with one of these friends whom I hadn't seen in years. Although he is studying medicine at a college back East, he's been spending some time in San Francisco, exploring the city and enjoying the countryside. We discussed the wonders of the region, how one can drive a few short minutes and find themselves among the primeval trees of Muir Woods, or drive two hours in most any direction (except for west, of course) and be in the midst of a stunning, otherworldly landscape. We both grew up in New England, where driving two hours usually puts you in the middle of Connecticut, so there was much to be enamored with out West. We stared out over the pastoral Pennsylvanian countryside.
"I was talking with one of my friends out there," he remarked. "And they brought up this interesting point. Growing up in the East makes us arrogant. Back in New England, we don't really have true wilderness, you know? I mean, you can drive to Vermont or the White Mountains, but it's just not the same. Out there, you find yourself in this big, open landscape, and it makes you realize how small you are and how tiny your ideas are."
He paused and turned to me with his mischievous smile.
"Kinda helps put everything in perspective."
