A-Town Down

After a quick turn in Lansing, Michigan where I was assaulted by 25 mph winds with blowing snow, we embarked on a flight from Minneapolis to Appleton. Despite it being technically colder the day before, the winds had been calm. Now each second outside was unbearable with the wind chilling me to the bone. We arrived in Appleton around 10:00pm and I immediately noticed the vending machine of cheese inside the airport terminal. We drove down College Ave and I took in the changes since I moved away over 12 years ago. At one corner I spotted a Family Video, where I used to rent videos in my youth.  How is it still in business? The van driver said there are still about ten of them in the area. It must be a front for something . . .





At one point I figured I would venture out downtown at night upon arrival, but the cold temperature was just too much for my frail body, so I cranked up the heat, took a hot shower, and called it a night. The following morning, I found myself using Yelp to find a place to get breakfast. Despite living here for 18 years of my life, I typically had oatmeal, waffles, or toaster strudels every morning. I never found myself searching for a breakfast place . . . until now. I settled on a coffee shop called the Copper Rock Café. It also coincidentally required the least amount of walking outside.

It was fairly busy inside and I enjoyed my scone, muffin, and orange juice. I couldn't help but contrast this to Wichita and some other places I have overnighted. Despite the oppressive cold, there were numerous people walking outside and businesses were actually open! Exciting! As I sat there looking out at familiar buildings, I had a very surreal feeling. I was a stranger in my hometown. Despite the familiarity, it was almost no different than an overnight in South Bend or Cedar Rapids. It just didn't feel like home anymore. Maybe I had simply been away too long.

As I made a circle back to the hotel, I stopped to quickly snap this picture of a seemingly ordinary looking office building. This is where I went to a clinic and received allergy shots for three years while in high school. And because I was receiving these allergy shots, the Department of Defense medical board declined my application to serve in the U.S. Air Force. As a result, you have an interesting chain of events that have me going to college in Washington, DC where everyone starts calling me "Appleton." Somewhere along the way, I got self-conscious that people might think Appleton was the name of someone who wore sea-foam green polo shirts, played La Crosse with a popped collar and vacationed in Nantucket. It was years before some people actually realized that wasn't my real name.

After an international affairs degree in D.C., a masters degree in Los Angeles, here I am today . . . back in Appleton, Wisconsin all because of a simple decision to rid myself of allergies. This story could have been much different. I could be in Afghanistan right now, or maybe a base in Germany or (heaven forbid) . . . Anchorage, Alaska. But no. I am in Appleton, Wisconsin, where I grew up, took my first flight lessons, acted in plays, ran Cross-Country, and went to prom. I was a relatively normal kid. And now I'm writing a blog about how seeing all of this is really really weird.