Let's go out walking, I know where to meet

[thorne_scratch]

I keep notebooks of all the places I go while traveling; they're filled with horribly scrawled handwriting in incomplete phrases and shorthand, and they constantly shed old receipts and airline stubs. I was going through one of them today.

Comments

[sakuranochi]

I thought that was wonderful dear. I'm not sure how I feel about cities, even now I suppose. I like architecture, museums, and galleries but there are just far too many people. There are a few places I would like to visit, mostly in Europe, I'm sure I'll get round to it one day. America is a bit different as I feel the same way about it as a certain Ginsberg poem. Nice enough place to visit, wouldn't want to live there. Not sure where I would want to live to be honest, perhaps Tipperary, but I suspect that is only nostalgia on my part of childhood summers where nothing really mattered and the future was still a wonderful thing. Anyway, I'm starting to depress, myself now, never mind other people so I will shut up. I'm happy you live somewhere you love though, and it won't be long before I'm there to see what the big deal is I'm sure.

[thorne_scratch]

I think it's like that Weakerthan's song, "Left and Leaving." Except not always so sad.

America is a bit different as I feel the same way about it as a certain Ginsberg poem. Nice enough place to visit, wouldn't want to live there

I think it's the same for people all over-- most Americans feel the same way about Europe! Someday I'll get to visit you as well, and I look forward to that day.

[sakuranochi]

Yeah, and I think it is more about what you are comfortable with than anything else, I mean, you wouldn't marry someone who believed the opposite of everything you believed in right? As long as I'm anti-gun, anti-death penalty, anti-religion in politics, pro-health care, pro-welfare, pro-gay etc. it makes no sense for America and me to be together. I will always gaze at her from afar seeing in her what Lafayette once saw, and she will always break my heat because she didn't become that. I think his heart was broken on the day Washington told him he would not free the slaves anyway.

I suppose I could join you in San Francisco, that would be rad.

[thorne_scratch]

As long as I'm anti-gun, anti-death penalty, anti-religion in politics, pro-health care, pro-welfare, pro-gay etc. it makes no sense for America and me to be together.

I say this as a biased American, of course, but one of the things I love most about my country is the fact we're made up of everyone else, and we're a big fucking country. And as such, not all of us are anti-gun, anti-death penalty, anti-religion in politics, pro-health care, pro-welfare, pro-gay, etc. I mean, I know you don't mean it that way, to tar the whole country with a single reputation, but for those of us who may or may not agree with all those policies, it can get a tad old to be told what we are or aren't, by folks who aren't. Uh. Well, us.

San Francisco is a pretty cool city, yep.

[aphelion_orion]

*laughs* This sounds like fun, and I'll have to agree with your impressions of most of the European ones. Haven't been to anything in America except Boston.

[thorne_scratch]

I realized I left a few cities off the list, but these are the ones that made the biggest impressions on me! I'll have to get you down to DC one of these days.

[mewsrissicat]

Your post makes me think of the book "Live, Laugh, Love" that soranokumo was reading. In parts of it, the author says that each city has a "theme" and whether you feel like you belong there or not depends in whether you understand that theme, and whether it meshes with your personality.

Rome was funny, but probably the saddest thing she mentioned was that Stockholm/Sweden's theme was "conform". And the first thing I thought was, "Well, that explains the high rate of suicide...."

[soranokumo]

Eat, Pray, Love, and hey, I'm still thinking of writing a post about that. XD Hang on!

But yeah, I was thinking about that, too, as I read this.

[thorne_scratch]

Do, please! I'm curious about that book now.

[thorne_scratch]

Ooh, that sounds intriguing! I'll have to check the book out next time I'm at the library.

Rome was funny, but probably the saddest thing she mentioned was that Stockholm/Sweden's theme was "conform". And the first thing I thought was, "Well, that explains the high rate of suicide...."

Yikes. I admit, I'm easily swayed by stereotypes, so the first thing I think of when I hear "Sweden" is the Swedish Chef. Or those gummy Swedish candies. or Alexander Skarsgard...

[soranokumo]

I really liked this. The descriptions of all the cities... Just wonderful.

[thorne_scratch]

I realized I forgot a couple of them, like Las Vegas and Atlanta and Philadelphia, but I'll make it up to them someday.

[flidgetjerome]

I feel the way about London that you do about Washington. I do get moments when I feel nostalgic for Rome or Boston but London fits around me like a favourite jacket I've worn-in, there's a level of comfort here that I don't get anywhere else.

[thorne_scratch]

Exactly. It's kind of like that quote I heard. "You kind of get in the habit once you're born there."

I know this city, and that's what I want. (Though if you come here, I can show you more squirrels.)