So...when I decide to embark on a road trip to Burlington, IA (to go to Kohl's), I assume it should be easy. I casually say to Josh, "To get to Burlington, I head towards Macomb..." and he immediately chuckles (only slightly) and tells me "No. You don't go towards Macomb." Okay. Hmmm. How do I get there? Josh proceeds to say bits and pieces like this... "Go down the road, past Mike's house, past Jayden's house, take the first gravel road to the right. Take it and follow it straight when it turns to black top." Through the conversation, I get other directions like, "When you see the big yellow building, make a left."
The thing is -- most of the time, I can follow that, which is very odd to me. That's how people give directions around here. There's not a lot of streets being used, and it's more about landmarks. Landmarks, I am not really familiar with but seem second nature to others. Needless to say, I do my best to keep up. I followed his directions, despite being nervous, despite the rain, and I doubted myself at one point -- I called him, only to have him reassure me that yes, I was going the right way. Okay! (He checked on me four hours later to make sure I made it... a little delayed but the Bears were playing...)
I got to Burlington. Eventually found Kohl's. Started to travel home. I had lost my way so I had to use some GPS guidance on the way home. The GPS does not know the same directions as Josh, so I am routed home a different way -- I don't care. Probably not the shortest, best way, but gets the job done. Alas, when I get close to town, I see the exit off the highway -- one way to Monmouth...one way to Macomb! I confront my lovely fiance later, again stating that you can obviously get to Burlington by heading towards the direction of Macomb (just as I thought), to prove I am not totally losing my sense of direction in the country. He conceeds...yes, you can, but not really from our house... But, it can be done. Again, not the best or shortest way, but a way nonetheless. I wonder if I will ever learn? It's hard on me, as an independent person, to not be able to find my way around. I have never had this much trouble - it's really hard when it all looks the same...and now it is really confusing because harvest has started so corn is missing every day when I drive around -- so much for my self made landmarks!
But, I am a determined girl and I am not prone to giving up -- so when I decide to try to take a Zumba class in Kirkwood, I figure I can find my way. I didn't get a chance to ask for directions this time -- but I have mapquest, my phone, and a GPS...and Kirkwood is suppose to be small and just 15 minutes away. Piece of cake! Not so much. The streets on the mapquest directions did not exsist in the country -- where they may be calling it Kirk Rd. or North St., it might have been Rt. 165. Who knows? All I know, is those directions were thrown out and I was beginning to panic. The phone let me down, with the map showing me completely off course, but the nice red push pin highlighting where I was SUPPOSE to be in Kirkwood. Just as I am about to give up, I see a sign: "Kirkwood" with an arrow to the right -- I swing a right. I figure, once I get to town, I can surely find the Kirkwood Gym.
Funny thing happens in the country vs. the city. When you grow up in a certain atmosphere, you have images in your mind of things -- so when you hear them in a different enviornment, you still get a visual of what to expect. I am here to tell you, that visual is wrong 90% of the time. Kirkwood Gym for Zumba class. For my city friends, I picture a smaller version of Bally's Gym or Gold's Gym -- something along those lines. I wasn't naive enough to think it would be that big, especially in such a small town...but "gym", makes me think of that vision.
Driving through Kirkwood, I had plugged in the GPS. It squaks at me "You have arrived". I pause. "I have arrived?" Where? I look around. I don't see a gym, and I fear the GPS has also led me astray. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see something...could it be...ahhh, yes... the Kirkwood gym...
Yep. A small red brick building, with a small white sign above it, hidden in the trees. I park (no idea where to park) by a church, cross the road, enter in a nervous fashion, only to find a gym...literally...where I later learned my sweetness use to play basketball growing up. A gym. What else would I have expected? Why was I surprised? Simply stated - a gym is just that, a gym, where one plays basketball and there are bleachers. Again, gets the job done for Zumba class, but not what I was expecting.
More lessons learned. I need to alter my visions and expect the unexpected. And, as we look at new cars, I need the Chevy vehicle with the On Star version programmed for the country roads please...
No comments:
Post a Comment