There are many things I really like about Kalamazoo. The farmers market is huge and inexpensive with tables practically overflowing with wholesome and brightly colored goods. The fall leaves were bright and cheery and lasted forever. The people couldn't be friendlier. Orchards and cider mills abound. I even sighted my first ground hog and wild turkeys ever. I've seen stars.
This is what I expected when I moved from Chicago. It was what I craved. But Chicago had a few things going for it, that try as I might, I can't account for in Kalamazoo. Public transportation. A grid system. And an urban accessibility to name a few. The ability to consistently get from point A to point B whether or not you know your way around town. If I got on the Brown line at Rockwell and stepped off at Southport, I ended up in the same place every time. All there was to do was orient myself to the Southport station and walk in the correct direction to wherever I was going. Kalamazoo is riddled with twisty, windy, doubling-back-on-themselves streets that change names at least 3 times in a mile and a half stretch, so even if the bus did come more often than once every half hour, I would have no idea which one to take. So then in the car, you press the accelerator, clutch the steering wheel, pick a lane, and hope for the best. I tend to end up being spit out into a different place every time. And then there's the stress of trying to figure out where parking is allowed and more importantly, where it is free.
Oh, how I miss being able to jet out my door and go to the grocery, the library, a bar, a cafe, a concert, a class, work, a festival, a park, a party, a picnic, etc and leaving my car at home! Having the car to worry about is like an extra burden to deal with. Yes, it took a lot longer to get everywhere, but there was a lot more time to take stock of what was going on around me. A new storefront, a first tulip, all kinds of crazy human activity (like the guy I passed one time who was out taking his parrot for a walk).. Not to mention the inherent exercise that came with moving by the power of my own two legs. If you're walking down the street and you miss your turn, no problem. You just turn around and go back. If you're driving and you miss your turn, first of all because you're going at least 30 mph, it might be several blocks before you realize you've missed your turn. Then you have to take another turn and probably two or three more in hopes that you can get back on track. However, if you're me and in Kalamazoo, this probably means you'll get caught in twisty, windy, one-way streets that will take you further from your intended goal, but you won't necessarily realize that because you'll be all turned around like the blind-folded participant of the game pin the tail on the donkey.
And so, I'm sorry to say that in the 2.5 months I've been here I really haven't taken too many opportunities to venture beyond my own backyard (and by that I mean the parking lot of my apartment building and the straight shot to the music building at school). When I was exploring Chicago, I would get on the train, pick a stop and just wander around for a while seeing what there was to see. Why does it seem to take so much more effort to motivate myself to get out and explore Kalamazoo?? I don't know. But I think it's time to assign myself some homework. One new place every Friday until Christmas. Maybe I'll make myself post about my explorations to provide some incentive and accountability. Until then..
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