East Coast E.

I recently sent an e-mail to a dear friend detailing certain characteristics of East Coast life in list format. I liked this idea and have expanded on it below.

1. I find myself wondering how most people who grew up here cannot pronounce "R"s. Not in the 5-year-old sense, but in the Kennedy sense. Lobster becomes "lobstah," Harvard becomes "Hahvad" and corner becomes "co-wnah." I like it and practice it often, but Sarah finds it distasteful.
2. Dunkin' Donuts is freaking Stumptown to these people. I admit, the iced coffee is much better than what Starbucks offers... But, regardless, it just doesn't have an aesthetically pleasing aura. Sarah made a good point the other day: "Where do people go when they just want to sit and meet with someone?" Perhaps the horse stables...
3. Beaches are very different here. Breathtakingly beautiful (and in that sense similar to the Left Coast), but very difficult to gain access to. Beach-front estates litter the coastal roads and their huge houses, trees, and walls prevent enjoyment for "normies" like Sarah and I. Yet we are slowly discovering the frugal access to God's created beauty (parking at public beaches can exceed $15).
4. Getting lost is way too easy on the roads here. Apparently the old carriage roads were just paved over to provide charm yet endless headaches. Roads meander, split off, and become whole new roads without telling you.
5. The East Coast is the place to be in Autumn. Sarah and I are looking for a Bed and Breakfast for the weekend of October 20th, and although there are hundreds of options many of them are rapidly booking up.
6. People aren't as mean as everyone makes them out to be. It seems this could be different closer to Boston (the times we've visited we have encountered very pleasant individuals), since we do live in a "small-town" setting. In fact, many people seem to overly involve themselves in your affairs.
7. Because of the difficult road system, it seems like a badge of local-honor to provide others with very detailed directions. My boss has launched into a ten minute dissertation on how to drive certain places about four times now. When I see it coming now, I have to suppress my giggles.