Six-or-so years ago, when I was first looking at colleges, I picked Colby and its location on purpose. A naive high school student, I believed that I was secretly a country girl and also that I loved winter. I vividly remember my college counselor telling me, skeptically, that I was the first person from my preppy private high school to tell her that I wanted to go somewhere Colder and More Isolated.
Well, turned out, I didn't know myself as well as I thought. Colder and More Isolated... it wasn't for me (just like it isn't for most people). I came to HATE winter, which I had previously thought was my favorite season. And, to be honest, I wasn't a big fan of nature either. I'm still not sure how I survived the arctic tundra that is central Maine.
And yet.... I miss it. Or at least I miss parts of it. I have a strange, fierce pride associated with the region, with knowing "the real Maine" and not the coastal Maine lined with fancy, waterfront homes, quaint towns, and retired peoples.
I was there this weekend, but I didn't know when I would be back again (it is a long trip...) so I took some photos of the things I associate with the Maine I came to know:
I had never been to a Walmart before I lived in Maine. We don't have one on the isle of Manhattan. In retrospect this is weird, but I had always shopped at local boutiques. My local New York pharmacy is The Village Apothecary -- totally unique to my neighborhood. The pharmacy I used in Maine... was Walmart.
This a local diner, shown to me by a local Mainer my freshman year. From the outside, it just looks like a house and the inside similarly looks like someone's kitchen/living room. That's exactly what it feels like too. All meals are home cooked to order and the business is all in the family. It is here that I have had the most delicious home fries of my life.
This is Maine's depression: downtown Fairfield, ME where every store is For Rent. I don't think I have fully captured the situation with this photo. But it was humbling for me to move to this part of Maine -- I was used to the perpetual growth and opportunity of New York City. And I had always imagined that rural USA looked more like the Main Street of the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.... I might have been a touch delusional.
Kennebec Cafe: the most delicious unbelievable donuts I have ever had in my entire life. You would think I could find something at least as good in New York City... but nothing can match the majesty of these warm, cake-y, made to order donuts.
Here is the inside of Kennebec Cafe and the list of all the types of donuts they make. It's pretty incredible. They will make any type of donut you can think of, any possible combination FROM SCRATCH!!!! Seriously, it is amazing. If you ever happen to find yourself in Fairfield, ME please do yourself a favor and stop in here for a donut.
Here is a cute and picturesque shot of downtown Waterville. I feel that this is not an accurate representation of the actual town, which is... well... Let's just say that it's not this cute or picturesque. However -- I like this photo because it reminds me that there are still small businesses and interesting stores downtown, no matter what else I may say about the place (and how there's nothing to do and no where to shop).
When I first moved to Waterville I had no idea what to expect. Growing up in the city, I had totally idealized rural life and... It was not ideal. Let's start with: when I first got there, I was 18 years old and I didn't have a driver's license (never needed one before!). Let's end with: winter in this region lasts a solid seven months from mid-October to mid-April (AKA the entire school year). It was culture shock for me, there is no other way to describe it. And yet -- I'm glad I did it. As glad as anyone who has traveled abroad and lived in an unfamiliar place. Yes, technically it's my own country, but the culture and lifestyle are completely different.
Maine opened my eyes. As it turns out, I am a tried and true city girl, but I am also very glad that my eyes are open.
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