What's right with Kansas?
Living just thirty minutes away from a place you considered home for the last 3 years can make a big difference... especially if you live in Kansas. I never understood the snide remarks that people made about the state - they usually involved the words 'toto' or 'evolution' - until I moved to Topeka.
The difference between Lawrence and Topeka is the difference between life and ... non-life. Driving through the streets of Topeka gives you the feeling that you're riding through a ghost-town. I keep asking my new room-mate, "But what do people do here?!"
Lawrence is an example of a liberal college-town. Walk downtown and you're liable to meet potheads and sax-players in equal numbers. The nightlife is amazing; on any weekend night, there are at least four bands playing in live-music venues. Sunny Saturday afternoons are even better; downtown is bustling with families and college-students, in cafes and specialty shops.
Downtown topeka, by contrast, is known for muggings of L1-Infoscions at night. The only brewery-pub in town closes by 10:30. Live events are restricted to country music radio station 'comedy' stars. (Think 'blue collar comedy tour', but lower on the humor ladder).
The difference between L. and T. could figuratively illustrate the difference between a red and a blue state. Each town is the epitome of what it's supposed to represent. Lawrence stopped construction of a second Walmart; Topeka's state board of education voted to make Intelligent Design( a.k.a. "the theory of evolution-doesn't-explain-everything-so-it-must-be-wrong") part of the curriculum.
So, what did I get from moving? Savings of a couple of hundred dollars per month and a much, much shorter commute. Which brings me to why the little white band sits on the top left corner of this page. I was unsure about doing something like this, or even if I should try for something new, but I figured it was worth a go. If you know someone with good connections, let him know of my extreme employability. :)
The difference between Lawrence and Topeka is the difference between life and ... non-life. Driving through the streets of Topeka gives you the feeling that you're riding through a ghost-town. I keep asking my new room-mate, "But what do people do here?!"
Lawrence is an example of a liberal college-town. Walk downtown and you're liable to meet potheads and sax-players in equal numbers. The nightlife is amazing; on any weekend night, there are at least four bands playing in live-music venues. Sunny Saturday afternoons are even better; downtown is bustling with families and college-students, in cafes and specialty shops.
Downtown topeka, by contrast, is known for muggings of L1-Infoscions at night. The only brewery-pub in town closes by 10:30. Live events are restricted to country music radio station 'comedy' stars. (Think 'blue collar comedy tour', but lower on the humor ladder).
The difference between L. and T. could figuratively illustrate the difference between a red and a blue state. Each town is the epitome of what it's supposed to represent. Lawrence stopped construction of a second Walmart; Topeka's state board of education voted to make Intelligent Design( a.k.a. "the theory of evolution-doesn't-explain-everything-so-it-must-be-wrong") part of the curriculum.
So, what did I get from moving? Savings of a couple of hundred dollars per month and a much, much shorter commute. Which brings me to why the little white band sits on the top left corner of this page. I was unsure about doing something like this, or even if I should try for something new, but I figured it was worth a go. If you know someone with good connections, let him know of my extreme employability. :)
Comments:
Post a Comment
