I'll Take Ann Arbor

In which I sing the praises of a town I have heretofore disliked...

Um, yeah, so... Ann Arbor is actually really cool. This is a big step for me. For as long as I can remember (and I'm talking since about 6 or 7 yrs old here) I have hated Michigan with a passion. My greatest ambition has been simply to leave the state! (and I haven't even managed that... sad really) But since moving into Ann Arbor 6 months ago, & especially since returning from NYC, I have found a love for this city (not the state though) I never knew I had in me.

I have always pictured myself as a big city kinda gal, but I don't think I am now. After a few days in New York I was more than ready to come home to my small city. I missed the relatively fresh air, the relative quite, & the TREES!

Ann Arbor really does have a lot going for it. It has culture, art, & music. It has some fantastic restaurants & indy movie houses. Where else do you have an entire town waiting for the next Faerie Door to pop up? (The new one has shown up at the Ark btw) It has a kick ass farmers market, zingerman's, a trader joe's And today... today I have discovered the glory that is Big 10 Market.

Now Big 10 was not an alien store to me. For years I have known it as the place to go for liquor & import beer. Not being a native townie I was completely unaware of the deli. For weeks I have read Kate's descriptions of the wonderful things she has gotten from them. Well today I went there. Oh. my. god. The fresh mozzarella.. the prosciutto.. the scharffenberger chocolates.. and the kicker? Coca-Cola in glass bottles! I ain't talkin no sissy mini bottles either. 12oz glass bottles of the Real Thing! They also had 7-up, Sprite, & Squirt in glass. Sure, they were all imported from Mexico & yeah, Coke is a crappy company politically speaking.. but DUDE! Do you remember what Coke tastes like from a glass bottle? It is so different! Sooo much better!

It takes me back to my childhood when my biggest worry was whether I had enough money for the slurpee & the space invaders machine!

So, Ann Arbor? Sorry about all those nasty things I said. I really do love you & I will try to treat you better in the future. I promise. Really. Trust me. ;)

(but I still want to move to Seattle)