Publish: | 2024-08-15 16:59:29 |
---|---|
Categories: | Michigan |
So I've been homelessly loitering around Dearborn for a week and a half now. Aside from an all too intimate knowledge of the local rest areas and truck stops, I've also had a chance to drive around the area for the last 10 days. Long enough to have some collected a few first impressions.
Some early impressions are good, others are less so... but since all I've been doing is bitching for the last week, I
thought it would be worthwhile to take some time and focus on some of the good so far.
How About This Weather?
High temps have been in the low 80's since I got here. At night, it gets cold enough to be incredibly cozy under a blanket (even if I wasn't in my car, I'd have the window on nights like these). This is mid-August... and let's be honest, this could've totally a much, much more difficult experience if I had driven here in the middle of a heat wave or something.
I've been warned about the Winter, and I'm admittedly worried about my car's ability to handle any level of
snow/ice... but for now, this has been excellent. Thanks MI.
You Can Drive!
I hope I don't end up eating my words once I get some more road time... but so far, the people here are the best drivers of anywhere I've driven. Bold claim, I know, but I've logged several hundred miles already (ffs) and so far, road etiquette is top-notch here. Not only do people move to the right if you're approaching faster, but more often than not (so far) people just get out of the left lane to begin with.
But don't think I'm zooming down the left lane blowing past all of Michigan. No no. The speed limit on the highway
is 70, I'm doing 80 and people are blowing past me on the left.
But let's keep going... the lanes? Fuck... after 15 years in the PNW, it's so nice to be on normal width'd lanes again! The highway lanes in Seattle aren't as wide. It's not a huge issue, but it definitely takes more work to stay in your lane, while also forcing you to pay more attention to nonsense from opposing lanes. It's a tiny, tiny thing, I know, but I was surprised at how noticeable it is here. It is noticeable.
Keep going still? OK!
Let's talk about the the roadway system. Pretty much all of western-Washington is "covered" by 3 highways. This is why there's always traffic in Seattle. Politically, it's simply more popular to fuck over cars as part of some "green" agenda, so there's some weird pride in having shitty roads there. Here, it's a web of highways and major roads that, every time I ask the googles for directions, enable me to have multiple highway-based options to get from A to B. If I end up living further out than expected, I'll bit more comfortable with the commute variability here than I ever would've been in Washington.
Peeps
On Day 1, I rolled into Dearborn... straight to U of M campus, and took a selfie in front of the sign. The very next thing I did was find a gas station to fill up (to get a final tally total gas used).
"All the way from Washington? That's far!", some random lady says to me. She's pumping gas at the pump in front of me. We briefly talk, and she shares an ominous, "Have a good time, but stay aware of your surroundings." OK... so, aside from that little warning, the first person I ran into? Immediate normal, nice conversation.
Since then? Too many too count. No, really... people here aren't walking douchebags like all of Seattle. I've got
my mountain bike strapped to a bike rack on the ol' FR-S (pictures coming, I promise!!), and I've had no less and 3
conversations about that bike, none started by me.
And I'm not just talking about people forced to interact with me; leasing agents, cashiers and the like. I mean, there's a been a lot that obviously, and yeah, they've almost all been pretty positive... but yeah, even beyond that, people just seem more human here. It's been a nice start.
And More!
There's more to share... but, 1) I've already told you long posts break my blog (for now) because I'm ass and 2)
I'm done with dinner.
So, more to come, of course. It's clear this adventure isn't going to be what I envisioned, but it never is, is it? What I can tell so far, is that I'll be driving more than I want (more details to come), I'll be spending more than I want (more details to come), but I may end up enjoying the day-to-day more than I have in quite a while.
Who knows... we're just at first impressions still. But there's more good than bad so far. Once I get a place to live, get my stuff moved in, and get going... it'll be interesting to see where this little blog takes us.
So far? Interesting start. Room for hope.