U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! (ad nauseam): Part II

The 9 hour drive back to Michigan from Washington DC was a pleasant one. As the first leg had me cruising through the hills of West Virginia and Maryland as I came from Cincinnati, the route back to Michigan had me cruising through the hills of Pennsylvania. A drive I have made a handful of times with friends, this was the first time riding solo, which was pleasant as I took to the open road with good music.

Thanks for having me, Pennsylvania

On both the drive to DC from Cincinnati and on the way back to Michigan, I was surprised by how beautiful the landscapes were as I cruised through West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. No stranger to the drives through these states before, these weren't necessarily new sights to me, but rather after not having cruised the great American highways in a while, I had a new perspective on them and a greater appreciation. As a child, making these road trips, through West Virginia for example, were rather boring to me. A land of hills and endless forests, there wasn't much for a 12 year old kid to get excited about. However, with age and some time out of the country, a deeper appreciation for the natural beauty during this drive was obvious.

American sun rays

The open road

After arriving to Michigan I had a day or two to spend in my childhood home in Grand Blanc, Michigan, which over the years has held less and less for me there as I've moved further and further away geographically. It is a quaint, middle class town that holds a very special place in my heart. Comforting to see the establishments and neighborhoods that have been there since my childhood and exciting to see the few new developments, I took an afternoon to drive by the many places I frequented as a youth. I was fortunate enough to swing by my elementary school while some staff were working during the summer hours, and was let into the building to take a quick walk down the hallways I once roamed from the years of 1990-1995. Fortunate again, I stopped by the Middle School to find it open for Summer School classes and was thus able to let myself in and again roam the halls as I did when I was 13-14 years old. Of course given the growth of Grand Blanc the past 10 years, the building I called the Middle School is now housing the 9th graders and serves as the Freshman Campus for the High School, while they have since built 2 brand new complexes for the Middle School aged children.

It was amazing to me how quickly the memories came flooding back. Not that I had forgotten much from those days, as it is only a mere 13 years in the past, but little things popped up around every corner. Simple memories of the the math class I had in Room 213, the time the computer lab opened for the first time in the library (still there!), the countless lunch conversations among prepubescent boys, the friendships that were started and cultivated here...

Indian Hill Elementary School (Where it all began)

An extra free day around the south-eastern Michigan area allowed me to make the 40 minute trek south of my hometown to visit Ann Arbor, where I attended The University of Michigan from 2003-2007. Walking around campus on a pleasant Michigan summer day was exciting and many memories flooded back as I walked through many libraries, buildings, and restaurants I used to once frequent. Not quite bustling with activity as it normally would be during the school year, there were more than a handful of students enjoying campus during the summer and I even caught a glimpse of some incoming freshman students taking campus tours. Immediately I felt as if I was back in the summer of 2003, wide-eyed with the hopes and excitement of what lied ahead for my college years. Although more than happy to leave those golden years behind as precious memories, I couldn't help but be tempted with the idea of pondering what it'd be like to enjoy it all over again...

In perhaps the closest thing to reliving those college days, I was to be reunited with my college roommates and friends in a couple of short days for a wedding ceremony in northern Michigan and certain to party like it is 2007 all over again.