Memory #15: Unexpected Sense of Humor

While living in Lancaster, much of my spare time was spent shopping. (What do you expect, we lived 5 minutes from a gigantic outlet mall!) To my surprise, I enjoyed sporadic visits to touristy spots like the jelly/preserves factory and candle barn – Amish candles burn right down to the end!

These places reeked of family. 

They were designed to be wholesome, old fashioned, and kid-friendly...can I say it? Boring. So you can understand my surprise...

...when flipping through a rack of t-shirts – I saw this:

And it doesn't stop with t-shirts: mugs, towels, magnets, pencils, pens, shot glasses...

To their defense, the name of the town is "Intercourse," but it was named that because it happens to be the intersection of three towns. 

Are you ready for this? 

The names of the three joining towns are:

1. Bird-in-Hand, 2. Blue Ball, 3. Paradise

(OMG!)

Memory #14: Best Storms

We're experiencing a pretty flashy storm in Boston right now, and it reminded me of Lancaster weather. When the sky begins to turn black, you can see it creep toward you on the horizon. I know it's like that most everywhere, but Lancaster is completely pancake flat. The blackness rolls on forever.

After the clouds are done vomiting rain and the wind is through throwing punches, the sky turns a shy shade of pink. Embarrassed of the clouds throwing temper tantrums.

During this Boston storm, I imagined a cloud temper tantrum and let my pencil go free while I listened to the thunder. You should try it, highly recommended.

On another note, I am almost done with my posts about Lancaster, mostly because I am finding it extremely hard to remember being 20. :)

Memory #13: Talk Like Thisch

Random Potentially Unknown Fact #1: Lancaster City has many tattoo shops.
I used to pass one on my way home from guitar lessons and stop in almost every time. The first time, I went in to look. The second time, I went in for a tattoo but left with my belly button pierced. The third time, I went for a tattoo...and ended up with my tongue pierced.
If I didn't have to go back to college in September, who knows what I would have ended up with?
For the firscht week it made me talk like thisch and I kept it in for a good two yearsch before schtaking it out.  (I still have the other one!)

Memory #12: Great Listeners

I definitely treated those cows like therapists– though I don't know why they would ever sit and listen for so long when all they could hear was the equivalent of Charlie Brown's teacher...

This picture was generated entirely due to Angela's comment on my last post. "...it sounds like cows are great listeners!"

It got me thinking that maybe the cows were just... lazy?

Memory #11: Most Quiet Town

Trying something a little experimental here... At one point, this "painting" looked like a tie-dye gone wrong – though maybe it still does?

No matter...

On my way home from work and even during my 15 minute breaks, I used to get in my car and drive. Driving in Lancaster isn't like anywhere else I've experienced in my life so far. Within 3 minutes of work on a bustling, touristy road...

I found peace in the cornfields. 

I once had a panic attack when I took a wrong turn and the corn stalks towered over my head like buildings in a city. It was like being lost in a maze and, when I found my way out, I wanted more.

 Often, due to the lack of passing vehicles, I would just get out of my car and walk up to the cows on the side of the road. They listened to me blabber on about my problems like irate customers, and sneakers. (I worked at Nike)

Now THAT is life in its purest form. 

Memory #10: A House for Giants

This week, I'm going to do a series of posts dedicated to Lancaster, PA. My parents moved here shortly after I moved away to college in Boston. I spent a few summers living in this house and working down the street at the outlet mall built over old farm land. 

Not so bad, right? Huge house, peaceful quiet, nice neighbors, endless corn fields, plenty of animals... But I also lived HOURS away from my friends and family, which is one of the reasons my parents eventually moved back to Scranton.

Alas, during the short lived time I spent in Lancaster, I did see (and smell) a lot of beautiful (and weird) things. I will share them here this week.