Backwards to Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN -- I've been taking a break. I took the train from
Shelby, MT to Minneapolis to see some friends and go on a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters -- a series of lakes in northern Minnesota along the Canadian border. I can't post pictures at this time, but trust me, it was gorgeous, and all the more so because the lakes and trees were a welcome contrast to so many miles of rolling, dry Montana plains.

This side trip has been full of welcome contrasts, actually. I've liked being in a city and having a variety of people all around me all the time. I've liked being able to hang out with people who share my background and situation to some degree -- recent college grads. It's been nice to stay in one place, and to go on a trip that someone else planned, and to have more than two radio stations available. It's been a very comfortable trip.

It's also been interesting to watch myself interact with strangers, here, though. On a somewhat stressful trip into strip-mall-land to replace my broken cell phone I found myself fairly annoyed at the leisurely cashier who tried to tell me jokes while checking me out. I would have listened to him gladly and probably even tried to further the conversation if I had been in small town Montana. Maybe that's just a habit that resurfaced with being in a city, but it's one I need to break. One of my favorite parts of my trip has been just listening to the things people tell me, and it'd be a pity to stop listening in major urban areas.

My train back to Montana leaves tonight so I'll be back on my bike and spending some time in Glacier National Park within a few days. Keep your fingers crossed against high altitude snow.