View from the North

The Blogger and the Snow

Hey readers! Take a look at my backyard. I promise, it's there somewhere...probably underneath all of that snow. It's like a desert out here. The wind blows, and kicks up all the snow, creating a sand storm (but instead of sand, it's snow). Being out in the wind and snow and harsh cold makes me feel like I'm in a movie. Except I'm not Natalie Portman, and the soundtrack for this particular scene is my teeth chattering. 

However much I hate the snow, I am not ignorant to the beauty of it. Especially if I'm not actually IN it for very long. When the wind starts to blow, it creates cool patterns in the snow on the ground. Have a look. 

The last one looks like a weird melting skull, right? When I think about it, snow isn't ALL bad I suppose. Except for the cold, and when it turns to ice, or gets in your boots, or is all over the road when I'm driving. Oh yeah, and shoveling it--hate that. But aside from all those things, it does have some (sort of) good qualities. I guess that's part of being a Mainer: finding semi-good qualities about things that really suck. 

You Are What You Eat-- A Bunch of Meat

Living in this part of the country is quite an experience. There are many aspects that continue to amuse, interest, and baffle me. For example, food. Now, I'm aware that everyone likes food. Some of it tastes good, looks pretty, and it can generally make you feel like there is a party in your stomach. There are many places around the U.S. that may not have healthy eating habits, we all know this. But here in The County, people are eating a hearty diet of meat, potatoes, and McDonalds.

Just to paint you a whole picture here, I have been vegetarian since I was in the 7th grade. Furthermore, I have been observing a vegan diet for approximately 5 months. These lifestyle changes have made me acutely aware of the dependency our culture has on meat and dairy products. Here in Littletown, people base their entire meal around meat: bacon and ham for breakfast, lunch meats for lunch, and a roast or casserole for dinner. Very rarely do those green things (normally called vegetables) make an appearance on a Northern Mainer's plate. 

Like The Russians, Mainers up here enjoy a lot of potatoes with their meat. As we know, potatoes grow up here like some sort of mutant fungus. They are everywhere! So residents don't have to go far to find a good tater to sink their collective teeth into. Not that I don't enjoy the potato-- I love french fries (curly or straight, I'm very open minded), baked potatoes, hash browns, and latkes. I simply take a bit of an issue with the fact that too much meaty, starchy, fatty, greasy food might be a tad...unhealthy. For goodness sake, where is the fiber?! Yeah, you need fiber people, trust me. But I wonder about what these eating habits are teaching the kids that live here. 

We all know that obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are big problems in our society. But how can we combat these issues if parents keep shoveling Hamburger Helper down their children's throats every night? Where is the nutrition? 

Back from the Dead

I know, I know. I've been gone for a long time. But hear me out. I went to North Carolina for a few weeks to spend the happy holidays with my folks. The weather: fantastic. My parents: awesome as ever. My time spent in somewhere other than Littletown: thank god. 

Let me just remind all of you that I do not come from a microscopic town. I'm from Florida, where the beaches are nice and there are actually people. Thinking back, I wish I had spent more time playing in the sand and enjoying the warmth of the blazing sunshine. Because right now I'm wearing two pairs of socks and I can't go outside my door without slipping on the two-inch-thick ice. Yeah. 

When I was back at home with my parents, I realized how little there is to do here in Northern Maine. In North Carolina there are hangouts aplenty. A movie theater with more than two screens. Enough variety of restaurants that you could go a year and never eat at the same place. Here in Little and Bigger towns...well, not so much. There's nothing for kids to do. No way to get out of the house and socialize in a fun way. 

The stark difference between the two places that I have resided is mind-blowing. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and a partner who loves and cares for me. However, I can't help but feel that if we lived in a more enriching environment, our personal and professional lives would be blossoming like the flowers will when the damned snow melts. I feel like the people who live here would benefit from getting out and seeing what the rest of the country is like. What can they bring back to this itty bitty town that would benefit others?