Flatlands

I recently took a trip to Indiana where the lands are flat and the cats are huge. It also happens to be the stomping ground of my partner in crime, Chloe, who is now one year older (and none the wiser, I assure you). I couldn't possibly let her celebrate her birthday alone, so I flew out to see what the Midwest has to offer. During my plane ride there I had a reverse-Dorthy moment upon seeing all the flat, farmlands punctuated with very few houses:"Toto, I think we might be in Kansas." It turns out that most things people think about the Midwest seem to ring true - Walmart, drive-ins, but mostly how NICE everyone is. If you live in a cave and have never heard this, let me be the first to tell you - people in the Midwest are so nice. They give out cookies at the airport, conversations happen with many of the people you encounter and it seems like everyone was smiling. Being reunited with Chloe made me realize how excited I am to be living together again. Isn't it cool how there are people that who, no matter how much time has passed, can pick up exactly where you left off? On Chloe's birthday we barhopped, my favorite being an outdoor bar where we took solace from the rain by sitting under a canopy in a pair of car seats, complete with a gear shift and cup holders, from three different cars. After a quick disco nap, her family threw a nice get together with her friends. I got her this killer 'thinking cap' beer helmet, which got a bunch of use at the party. The next day we walked around a beautiful park just before proving (mostly to myself) that I could eat a chili-cheese dog in four bites - a task that most people can do, but I had yet to succeed. I got experience my first drive in and get a kick-ass America shirt at Walmart. The weekend went by in a second and pretty soon it was time to go. Though it was hard to leave Chloe, I can't wait for the adventures we'll have in Brooklyn in just a few short weeks.