Wednesday, June 27, 2007

The Amish Country



On Monday Kalan and I decided to take a little road trip and visit the simplistic beauty of the Amish country.

Before I start, I have to introduce Kalan, my roommate for the summer from Alabama. When I first found out that I was placed with a girl from Alabama, Bethany and I wracked our brains of all the possibilities of what an Alabama girl could be like. My first thought was that I was most definitely going to meet a hick. Bethany quickly stepped in and assured me that I would without a doubt get a southern bell.

Kalan cannot be placed into a neatly described category. At times I wonder if we speak the same language. We are continually having to define the words we use and repeat our commonly used phrases so the other can understand. Apparently her friends keep asking her if she has turned into a Yankee now that she is living with one. She's shocked that biscuits and gravy, casseroles, and fried chicken are not part of my regular diet. The funny thing is... we get along great.

So, after much deliberation the two of us decided it was time to get out of Rochester and visit some Amish country in the area. We passed through acres of corn fields, cows, and manure until we reached a town called Harmony. Population 1080. We visited the tourist information center and found out that most things are either closed by 3pm or never open on Mondays. So we hopped in the car and continued on our way to Lanesboro, a beautiful little town in the Bluff country.

Lanesboro is a wonderful little town that has unique cafes, ice cream shops, and little boutiques with lovely things for sale. It was like a breath of fresh air... a town with personality. We went to a bakery where we met a stoic woman who should reconsider being in customer service. By the time we finished she had warmed up to us slightly. At one point she actually asked where we were from and if it was humid outside.

Mind you, I've been absolutely sizzling here in the humidity, barely able to accomplish anything when I'm outside... my productivity almost entirely gone.

Kalan piped up, "she's from Seattle and doesn't know what humidity is. I'm from Alabama and this isn't humid at all. We're probably not the best people to ask." That pretty much sums up the difference between Kalan and myself.

We continued on our way and visited Winona, a college town that borders Wisconsin. I saw the Mississippi River for the first time. What an amazing opportunity to witness the different parts of this country for the short time that I am here!

1 comment:

Lin said...

I loved "going with" you and Kalan to Amish country! We chuckled at your description of the bakery clerk :) Hope you can get in some more posts before you leave.

I continue to have adventures here but as you will see from my blog they have taken a painful turn..but that is a surgery nightmare you and I will share another day...so keep us in your backpack for now Lin