A New Friend

Dear New England,

I am having a moment with you and thought it best to capture it before it goes away. While getting to know you, I have been critical at times. Your accent is different. You don't smile at me, in fact you don't even give me the opportunity to smile at you because you won't make eye contact. You treat me as a stranger, I am anonymous. Your architecture is different, really quite simple. Your food is often all-natural and you make me feel guilty when I ask for plastic bags rather than bringing in my own cloth bags.

Yet today, perhaps just today, New England, I like you. I love that you sound different than me, it's refreshing. I love being unseen, unnoticed, anonymous today. I even bought cloth bags and one day I just know I'll remember to take them into the coop (your funny name for a fancy grocery store). I'm enjoying your local products and am impressed at how many people support the local food industries. Your brown stone buildings are starting to become familiar. I like that your safe and isolated. You allow me to sleep with my window open, a first in as long as I can remember.

Yes New England, I think that we are going to be friends. Friends indeed.