Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Week 8 Missouri versus Virginia: Round One

Versus is probably not the best word for the title of this blog post. I don't really consider Missouri to be in competition with Virginia. They are, naturally, different. But Virginia will always be "home", where I grew up, where I envision family, childhood, comfort and familiarity. Missouri will always be that first place I lived after "home". A second home, in some ways all my own. And of course any place I live after this will be different than Virginia and Missouri...though I feel that these two might always on some level be the two most special (most special...?). But who knows where life will float us...I certainly would not have thought mine would have floated me to Missouri.

I refer to this post as round one since we have only been here for three months. Though that sounds and feels like a long time right now, I am sure than in another six, twelve, or forty-eight months some of my thoughts and feelings on this will have changed.

Additionally, in large part this is a Columbia versus Richmond post, as I really haven't gone out of Columbia enough to pass any real judgments on Missouri. We haven't even been to St. Louis (except driving through on the move) or Kansas City yet, so there is still a lot to discover outside of this tiny town.

I will try to avoid differences that involve fundamental personal changes on my part- of course things are different in terms of my sleep schedule or leisure time. I will save that for a Pre-Grad School versus Grad School post. Maybe that will come at the end of the semester, after we all get through surviving the next few weeks!

So lets start with the place for lovers...

What's Great/Different About Richmond, Virginia





1) Family and friends: I said I wasn't going to make it overly personal but this bears saying anyway. That is something Virginia will always have going for it in my book. I do miss being able to catch a meal or a movie with any one of my parents or friends. (I also miss the Masonic Lane house! What a great hangout house...and yard...etc...)

2) Great restaurants/shops/places to go with lots of character: I'm sure Missouri/Columbia has some of this...but I haven't really found any yet... Richmond is kind of a grungy city but in a good way, like your favorite pair of old socks or a cobble-stoned street. I miss The Village, all the miscellaneous sub shops and other good but grungy little Richmond flavored eateries, like Aladdin's. Dominic and I went to a hookah bar downtown here that only just opened up (we stumbled in on its grand opening) and the hookahs were great (huge!) but it wasn't a comfy little place to hang and chat with your friends. The music was loud, the lights bright and the floors bare. It was fine for what it was, but it doesn't compare to the shady corners of Aladdin's with the funky bathroom. I know the grunge factor doesn't sound appealing, but if you know and love Richmond, you understand what that means: it's quirky, homey and has character.

3) History: Okay, I know Missouri/Columbia has history. The University is pretty old with some great buildings. But it doesn't really compare to the "Capital of the Confederacy" with its hodgepodge cobble stone streets, museums, haunted spots and cemeteries. I will definitely have to get my fix when I get home.

4) Variety: Say what you will about Virginia, but you can't really beat the benefits of having DC two hours north, the beach two hours east, and the mountains two hours west. Plus a plethora of great rivers. Whichever direction you chose to drive in, you will always have something beautiful and interesting to look at and explore.

5) Sprawl: Maybe some people don't like this, in fact I didn't realize I had an appreciation for this until moving here, but in Richmond there is something everywhere you go. Sure, sometimes it gets to a point of overkill, but in Richmond going across town actually means something. There is a huge variety of restaurants and shopping and things to do...Richmonders do not appreciate this enough. Mark my words: you don't. In Columbia, you drive 15 minutes in any direction and you are out of civilization and into fields. This is not a bad thing, just something I'm not used to. I sometimes feel confined/trapped within a five mile radius and miss the spread, sprawl and variety that is Richmond and Virginia as a whole.

6) Diversity: There are plenty of different types of people in Virginia, and I've always been a person that prefers diversity (one of the reasons I decided to go to Mason for undergrad was because it was one of the most diverse universities in the nation). Columbia/Missouri is lacking hardcore in this arena.


What's Great/Different About Columbia, Missouri




1) No traffic, lots of parking: Okay, sometimes you hit traffic...At the intersection of Providence and Stadium, sometimes if you hit it just right, you might have to wait for an extra, I don't know, three or four minutes. But for the most part there is very little traffic in Columbia, at least compared to how debilitating it can sometimes get in Richmond on bad days (or in DC on good days, ugh). Also, the drivers here are typically ridiculously chill. There are usually a couple times a day when I need to remind myself to stop driving like an east-coaster. And parking downtown is a breeze- it's heaven sent really. You never have any trouble finding a spot, can usually avoid parallel parking if you hate it (like I do) and its free everyday after 6 and all day Sunday.

2) The sky: The sky is definitely different here. It's bigger and it does some pretty impressive things. The sky is beautiful anywhere- I mean, it's the sky- but here you frequently get different brighter colors, bizarre and beautiful cloud patterns, big haloed moons and lots of flashing stars. There have been a few sunsets that were absolutely breathtaking. One was all pink and purple. Another a brilliant orange.

3) The cost of living: I think this one pretty much speaks for itself. Going along with that, for those who like a boozy night out this is the place to do it: even buying drinks out is pretty cheap compared to a night out on the town in Richmond (and again, not even gonna mention DC prices: *shudder*). Plus their liquor laws are pretty lax- the liquor store is open until 1:30 am and the selection in Hy-vee is epic.

4) Less crowds: Even on a Friday or Saturday night, Dominic and I have not had to wait in line once to get a table at a restaurant. This is huge! When we lived at Masonic we only managed to go to the Red Lobster and the Longhorn once- every other time the line was out the door. I can't even remember how many times I've been out with people and we've tried to find a table at a decent restaurant on Friday or Saturday night in Richmond. Unless it's Mexico Restaurant, it can be pretty impossible. That hasn't even been close to an issue here.

5) School spirit/Tiger Town USA: I know there are probably schools with more school spirit than Mizzou (the University of Alabama, for example) but I have not experienced them, and so the school spirit here is pretty darn epic to me. I can hardly think of a single store or restaurant that does not have at least one reference to Mizzou in it (maybe the Vietnamese Restaurant...?). Grocery store fronts are painted Mizzou colors. You can buy Mizzou gear while getting your groceries or shopping at the Dollar General or stopping for gas. You want something Mizzou themed for your house? You got it. Candy bar? Check. Bed spread and matching curtains? Got it. Baby and dog clothes? Easy. Dishes? Yup. Lamp shades? I can't think of anything not Mizzou flavored. Even better- Mizzou gear can be pretty cheap! $10 sweatshirts and 25% off on Fridays before home football games. Everywhere you go people are wearing Mizzou themed clothing. It's contagious! And I'll admit that I enjoy it. I have way more school spirit than I ever have before.

6) The downtown and feeling safe: Would be even better if I had money to spend in its tidy restaurants and cute shops, but it is still nice for a walk around. It's clean and feels very safe- in fact this whole town feels pretty safe. I have yet to stumble into a neighborhood that makes me roll my windows up and not stop at stop signs, which can happen in Richmond quite a bit. I'm fairly confident that this type of neighborhood does not exist in Columbia because, well, I've already been 15 minutes in every direction...


There are plenty of other minor things, but I think these hit the major differences that I've observed in our first three months here. This is all me: I'm sure Dominic would have different/additional things to say about it. Though we both agree on the sky.

There is a lot to love about both places- there is a lot to love about anywhere if you are open to it. In sum, I guess I mostly miss the familiarity and diversity of Virginia and I love the crisp clean beauty and small town vibe of Columbia.

One final point: people always talk/ask about the weather. So far it has been a lot like Virginia weather, and I think it will be very similar overall. The summer was sizzling hot and the fall has been all over the place. I've heard a lot of people here say "Missouri weather- you never know what's it's going to do!" I've heard and uttered this exact statement concerning Virginia weather. So Missouri winter ism't scaring me...yet ;)

So that's my big three month update. We will see what will happen in another three. This past year has been an absolute whirlwind...I still can't believe I'm in Missouri, in graduate school, and almost done with my first semester. It's absolutely insane to think about...

Happy Hump Day everyone!

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