Being in a new environment always takes
some adjustment, sometimes more than less.
Palm trees are few and far between in Western Massachusetts, but the landscape has a few more differences than that. First of all, I hadn’t realized what a sleepy part of the Bay State we live in until I came here. At home, a trip to just about any form of shopping involves at least a twenty minute ride, most often over the line to Connecticut. The only road with more than two lanes in one direction is a state highway.
Palm trees are few and far between in Western Massachusetts, but the landscape has a few more differences than that. First of all, I hadn’t realized what a sleepy part of the Bay State we live in until I came here. At home, a trip to just about any form of shopping involves at least a twenty minute ride, most often over the line to Connecticut. The only road with more than two lanes in one direction is a state highway.
Since
we’ve had to outfit the place from dish pans to sofas, I’ve had to become
skilled at finding my way around. At a result, by the second week we received a
warning note from Verizon about the amount of usage on our phones’ data plan.
I’ve been Google-Mapping my brains out.
Happily,
there are any number of options close at hand for buying that new dish drainer
or sofa. The problem is that the entire world of shopping seems to be on the
Tamiami Trail, which is also (confusingly) known as US 41. It’s also called the
South Tamiami Trail, no matter which way you’re traveling.
As a person with a sketchy sense of direction,
I find landmarks to be my friends. Except here.
I can’t remember to turn at the Subway, or the Publix market, because
every half mile or so there’s another shopping center with, you guessed,
a Subway and a Publix. Every corner seems to hold a CVS,
and every strip mall a Dollar General, hearing aid place, and consignment shop.
And that whole
myth about Florida being populated
with cars going at 20 miles an hour, left turn signal perpetually blinking, is
exactly that. Everyone except me is zipping along on the eight lanes of Route
41. I’m the one in the right-hand land driving under the speed limit as I wait
for Ms. Google to tell me to take an immediate U-turn because she’s had to
recalculate.
I doubt I could deal with Florida traffic on a permanent basis. It makes me anxious just visiting.
ReplyDeleteIt's the off season right now, so the streets are manageable and the stores echo.
DeleteI am so grateful to have a good sense of direction. My partner on the other hand...
ReplyDeleteBleah to traffic though. It makes my wimpy self anxious.
It takes me a very long time to learn my way around in a new place. I don't do real well with our GPS. I've threatened to throw our GPS Samantha out the window and drive over her a few times.
ReplyDeleteI always call her Helyn; it's her first name. That U turn is wonderful to listen to. Do you have "Unknown road!Unknown road!" when you nip into a shopping center to perform the required "U Turn! U Turn!")
ReplyDeleteI sure don't miss Florida driving. On the East Coast, it was I 95 to fear. That road has an accident every 45 minutes during the season. Trying to drive at the speed limit will cause an accident. I imagine US 41 is the same. Lucky for you, off season it is much better. Pretty soon, you will be driving like a native.
ReplyDeleteSo a move to a very different area is great to challenge the old brain to find new landmarks.
ReplyDeleteI would be a nervous wreck trying to drive there. I'm afraid drive in Raleigh now. I think we've been out here in the woods too long. Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteI've relocated several times an like finding my way around new areas, but thankfully I've never had to re-outfit a new place. Always took everything we owned with us. Even curtains, which often didn't fit in the new windows, not a problem if they were too big, we adjusted them, but sometimes they were too small and we'd hang sheets instead until we could replace them.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of living in a sleepy bay area.
When I visit my sister, it's always in the busy time of year (winter). But now, as you said the stores echo. My sister vastly prefers this time of year, even if it is hot. And you're right: there does seem to be a Publix everywhere. :-)
ReplyDeletehaving lived in a large city and 4th largest from about the 80s on, I'm used to traffic. glas I don't have to deal with it on a daily basis anymore though.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a certain sameness to all those strip malls! When I was growing up, Tamiami Trail was a two-lane road in places. I remember driving down through Laurel and Nokomis at night in the mid-'80s and there was NOTHING on that road to speak of.
ReplyDeleteOur place is on Venice Ave, just down the road from 41 and the island.
DeleteLast night we took a sunset ride down Casey Key