With each passing day, I seem to view the world with a new pair of eyes. The things that happen to us--the job we take, the people we meet, even the food that we eat--shape our understanding of ourselves. As it turns out, I spent my time with some amazing people who have really inspired my creativity and lifestyle--such as my desire to take pictures and become a vegetarian (more on that later).
I just returned from six weeks at the Center for Talented Youth summer enrichment camp in Lancaster, PA. I arrived there in June with few expectations and with little hope of making real friends. By now, you'd think I'd have learned! One thing I have learned through travel is (as cliche as it sounds) to expect the unexpected.
For now, I will focus only on my lack of expectations of Lancaster. I thought that perhaps I would have to fight black horse-drawn buggies for parking spaces; instead, Lancaster had quite a bit to offer.
At least, picture-wise.
Pianos were scattered all over the city for people to pass by and play if the spirit moved them. Sometimes you would hear Beethoven, but usually "Chopsticks" (or in my case, "My Heart Will Go On") set the ambiance.
Downtown Lancaster is pretty diverse. The historic downtown area is home to a great variety of people and is not limited to upper-middle class liberals hoping to turn an old warehouse into an organic restaurant. There is little separation between socio-economic classes; it is almost hard to tell which houses have been revamped and which are lower-income. People shop where they live; as a result, there are numerous small markets, restaurants, used bookstores and cafes. Lancaster also provided me with my daily dose of Americana, which I will greatly miss when I'm in Germany.
