What to like about Maryland from an outsider.

As we have been living here now a whole five months I am now beginning to really fall in love with Maryland. I've come to realize a lot of my reasons have to do with the fact that I'm not from here, some of the finer points are lost on the people here.

-East Coast Autumn

My writing place aka our deck

I can not overstate how awesome fall is here. It feels fancier like it should always be named Autumn because everything does not simply fall, die, and become winter. In Utah often I'd find myself saying "lets go see the leaves" "lets go on a drive" and if you didn't go right then you ultimately missed it and next thing you know its snowing on Halloween. I spent many a childhood Halloween with a puffy winter coat on over my costume ruining the effect that I was truly a ghost. Here I feel like a professional writer sipping my coffee on our deck, hearing birds chirp, and squirrels climb trees. I mean the sun is actually shinning and yesterday you guys had your first big snow. Just sayin'. A tiny bit of chill in the air, some rain but mostly perfect Autumn with leaves still on the trees in mid November. I've spent every day this week walking and I haven't hit the seasonal depression slump that I get right about when daylight savings ends and it gets colder. People here are confused at my almost giddiness because they don't know the difference but I am reveling in it.

Though we haven't experienced winter here yet but as far as I can tell I think we'll be fine. Today I had someone tell me that last winter was a really bad one; they had A blizzard (as in one), and there must have been a whole foot of snow. This isn't the first time I have had someone explain the winters as the worst thing ever only to find out that they aren't even close to one winters day in Utah. I know I know "best snow on earth", but for me personally when you don't ski/snowboard, 6 months of winter is too much. I feel like I have to hunker down and hibernate while depression becomes my roommate and joy goes on a 6 month vacation. I hate the lack of sun and Ryan hates the cold. He goes into the "I'm not waking up because bed is so warm and I'll stay here forever" part of the year. It's like perpetual morning Ryan. Morning Ryan is the Ryan I have made up that exists between normal waking hours and 11am. He is hostile, grumpy, requires coffee and no conversations about anything serious. Examples of anything serious include but are not limited to: weekend plans, something I was thinking about that I just needed to talk to him about, if he wants to go grocery shopping later, etc. Suffice it to say that I think Maryland winters are looking to be an added benefit to the happiness of both Ryan and I.

-Wineries
Wineries are a thing here and because I'm on the east coast a lot of them are old and awesome. Coming from Utah I feel like I have moved to Italy and am now a wine connoisseur giving my opinions on wine while going to wine tastings. I have no idea if I actually have good taste in wines, all I know is that I now have a favorite winery.  We just went to one this last Saturday that was an old 1800's farm house that got turned into a winery in the 70's. They refurbished everything with the help of the Amish. To Ryan's surprise and happiness there was also a brewery next door. So you spend a day go to a winery have crackers and cheese and make it a day of leisure. This is something that feels like a luxury to me where otherwise it might not have if I had experienced this my whole adult life.The first time I realized I wasn't under Utah alcohol law was the day we went into a liquor store and they offered me a taste of wine... no ID check, no anything just "here have some wine and talk to me about it". My favorite wine so far tastes like adult raspberry high quality juice, 'tis the best.

-Little things
I've always loved history, as a little kid instead of spending Saturdays watching cartoons, my dad and I would watch the history channel (when it was still about history). I love thinking about all the different lives that have culminated to create the way I live my life and all the things I love. So living in a place with so much history surrounding it is amazing. Everything is so close that a bunch of things we've never seen before are right at our finger tips. For example: DC is an hour away, Gettysburg is an hour away, Philadelphia is two hours away and New York its a little more than three hours away and we can even take a train, just to name a few. The states are so small here you easily cross several states in the time it would take to get to the bottom of Utah. I'm ready for the years of exploring ahead of me and lucky to have someone to do it with.

The Filling Station Front

We live in what feels like a small town. Sparks is kind of rural condensed, there windy roads, farm houses and a one way bridge announcing that it has a stop light and its new. But if you were to drive five minutes away from Sparks you'd find a mall. You get the small town closeness with the convenience of suburbs. Sparks is maybe ten minutes from end to end and the townships flow quickly from one to another. Everything is condensed here. It feels like we are far from the big city when in reality downtown Baltimore is only 30 minutes away. I'm glad we don't live in Baltimore, it's great for a day trip but its not a safe place to live.

The Filling Station Back

There is a lot of character in this area one of my favorite places that I found almost immediately was the coffee shop called "the filling station". Great little coffee shop that looks like it used to be a auto body. They re-did the garage for tables and chairs inside but the best place to be is outside in the back. The staff is friendly and knows many of their customers by name and beverage. So far I have not found a coffee shop that will serve mugs, to my dismay it's all in to-go cups, though you can bring your own to-go mug and they will happily fill that for you.

NCR Trail

Close to our place is a trail called the NCR trail or Northern Central Railroad trail. It used to be an old railroad and currently stretches from northern Maryland to southern Pennsylvania. Its roughly 20 miles long and you can walk, run, bike, and horse back ride. The trail follows a river that is great for tubing, fishing and I've even seen someone stand up paddle board. Its become my go to place to exercise. With the extended fall I'm taking full advantage and walking here every day.

There is a market called the Pennsylvania dutch market that is run completely by Amish. It's like the downtown Salt Lake farmers market but with Amish made everything. There is a diner inside, a home made pretzel stand, a candy shop and rosted nuts at the front door. Its only open Thursday through Saturday but is packed every time. It feels like you are in a different country when you take a step inside the Amish culture, they have interesting accents and mannerisms. I love this market.

Anyone that has moved accross the country knows that it is a rough transition. Everything is new and you know nobody. Part of that is what makes it so great when you find the things you do love about the new place. I am beginning to be be grateful to be an outsider looking in. I think the things I appreciate and am loving about Maryland might not mean as much if I hadn't had to go through the struggle of moving here. Now the new is exciting and making this place seem much more like home. We are meeting new people and feeling settled in this new place. Until next time.
-Shea (& Ryan)