Matador Network's Blog, page 2104
June 5, 2015
The only photo composition tips you need to know
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IN THREE BEAUTIFUL MINUTES, the Cooperative of Photography explains 9 photo composition tips with the help of Steve McCurry’s incredible photographs. Enjoy. 
21 reasons NOT to visit Cleveland
A photo posted by Jay Kossman (@digital504) on May 17, 2015 at 8:50am PDT
2. A pub that only serves hot dogs, tater tots, and beer? No thanks.
A photo posted by Ola Herbich (@noegoposiid) on May 24, 2014 at 5:55am PDT
3. The Midwest is just too traditional.
A photo posted by Waterloo Arts (@waterlooarts) on Mar 19, 2015 at 10:37am PDT
4. Sorry. Live music isn’t really your thing.
A photo posted by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) on Apr 11, 2015 at 5:41pm PDT
5. Who wants to drink a full liter of beer?
A photo posted by Hofbräuhaus Cleveland (@hofbrauhaus_cle) on Jan 17, 2015 at 11:30am PST
6. Whiskey Island sounds like a boring place.
A photo posted by Destination Cleveland (@thisiscle) on May 22, 2014 at 5:44pm PDT
7. What's the point in local coffee shops? Instant coffee's all you need.
A photo posted by Micho Aboukhaled (@micho_show) on Sep 2, 2014 at 6:03am PDT
8. This doesn’t look fun at all.
A video posted by Cedar Point Amusement Park (@cedarpoint) on Jun 1, 2015 at 11:13am PDT
9. Who wants to play NBA Jam at a bar?
A photo posted by 16BitBar (@16bitbar) on Apr 7, 2015 at 11:04am PDT
10. There are no nice restaurants here.
A photo posted by Ingela Mauritzon (@ingelamaz) on May 21, 2015 at 2:45pm PDT
11. You’re more of a Miller Lite person.
A photo posted by Great Lakes Brewing Company (@glbc_cleveland) on Jun 21, 2013 at 1:52pm PDT
12. It’s too urban. Where's the nature?
A photo posted by Scott Cochran (@scottly) on May 16, 2015 at 3:46pm PDT
13. Sports just aren't for you.
A photo posted by Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) on May 26, 2015 at 8:09pm PDT
14. You don’t like to be overwhelmed while shopping.
A photo posted by Destination Cleveland (@thisiscle) on Feb 25, 2015 at 7:13am PST
15. Margarita flights? Eh.
A photo posted by eric williams (@momochochef) on Apr 10, 2015 at 6:36am PDT
16. The theater is a snore.
A photo posted by Destination Cleveland (@thisiscle) on May 3, 2014 at 3:40pm PDT
17. Lake Erie is gross.
A photo posted by Phil Kosch (@philkosch) on Apr 28, 2015 at 5:17pm PDT
18. The biggest outdoor chandelier in the world doesn’t impress you.
A photo posted by Micho Aboukhaled (@micho_show) on Apr 23, 2015 at 6:31am PDT
19. Seeing one of the “Big Five” orchestras isn’t high on your list.
A photo posted by @rfkay22 on May 28, 2015 at 4:30pm PDT
20. There’s nothing for your kids to do.
A photo posted by Cleveland Botanical Garden (@clegarden) on May 31, 2015 at 12:08pm PDT
21. You'd prefer to buy TV dinners at the supermarket.
A photo posted by Destination Cleveland (@thisiscle) on Apr 18, 2014 at 6:03am PDT
11 reasons you should never eat street food in New York
So many ppl want this #halalguysnyc #nyc #shittyphotography #food #gyro
A photo posted by anik ahmed (@anikspointofview) on May 25, 2015 at 5:20pm PDT
It’s almost inconsiderate how good the food is. Because word gets out, and then you’re stuck waiting in line to get your fix. Take the The Halal Guys, for example, who despite mastering the fine art of turning out tons of perfectly-seasoned beef and chicken plates en masse, still have a line around the block virtually all day, every day. It’s almost like good food “takes time to cook,” or something.
2. The prices are good. *Too* good.
A photo posted by Red Hook Lobster (@redhooklobster) on Apr 1, 2015 at 8:38am PDT
This is America people, we thrive on capitalism– and by Jove we’re going to pay for stuff when we ought to! I don’t care how amazing Red Hook Lobster Pound Food Truck’s lobster rolls are, or how much lobster meat you get for their preposterously low prices. If it’s too cheap, I get suspicious. And you should too.
3. Food carts are painfully hip.
A video posted by Redwood Studios (@redwoodstudiosny) on May 15, 2015 at 2:24pm PDT
God, just look this video for the Solber Pupusas cart… it looks like a party. Look at all of those satisfied patrons grinning gleefully with their full stomachs. Look at all those chefs having fun. Nobody wants that out of an eating establishment… fun is gross and probably unsanitary. Someone should warn those people.
4. And they use exotic (read: weird) ingredients.
A photo posted by Bolivian Llama Party (@bolivianllamaparty) on Mar 6, 2015 at 10:50am PST
Like Bolivian Llama Party… I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trust llamas or parties when it comes to food. Sure, they may have reviewers raving about their unique quilquina-calimari fry sauce, but I can’t even pronounce those words… and a long history of devotion to fast food restaurants has taught me to be wary of any ingredient that doesn’t start with “saturated” and end in “-ose.”
5. Many of the cart operators are entirely too friendly.
A photo posted by NY DOSAS (@nydosas) on Jan 19, 2015 at 5:18pm PST
And do you know what that means? That means they might talk to you, ask you about your day, or share a story with you. Or worse — smile at you. Extroverted NY Dosas guy, do you not realize that I’m in no place to talk to you while I’m in the midst of unsanctimoniously stuffing my face with your delicious food?
6. And most will take “creative liberties” with the food they make.
A photo posted by Becky (@rebeccajunelane) on Jul 18, 2014 at 2:29pm PDT
Like this zany flatbread margherita pesto pizza from The Eddie’s Pizza truck, using ingredients so fresh you can pretty much identify all of them on sight. Fresh ingredients, and combining two of Italy’s best flavors…who even does that? It’s like “Eddie” is on a mission to create the perfect pizza or something. I hate to break it to you Eddie, but no one in the history of ever has gone to New York to eat pizza.
7. Which means sometimes they go too far.
What you'll miss when you leave Utah
Photo: Doug Hubbard
1. The ‘Utah bump’
You sort of miss seeing women sporting big, square hairdos infamously known as the ‘Utah Bump’ or ‘Utah Poof.’ Come to think of it, you haven’t seen a Bump It hair volume insert on an infomercial since you left.
2. Nostalgia coming in the form of rotten egg smell
Ah, the smell of “the lake” when the winds came in wrong. Nothing will ever reek more like nostalgia.
3. Café Rio
Nothing makes you miss Utah like the thought of Café Rio’s pork barbacoa burrito or grilled chicken salad. Admit it, you’ve scoured the internet in vain to find the authentic recipe for the creamy house dressing. And where else are you always guaranteed to run into at least one person you know?
4. ‘Oh my heck’
‘Gol,’ you never thought you’d miss those diluted, gentle curses. ‘Dang it.’
5. The mountains
The horizon seems so bleak and empty without those purple majestic Rockies surrounding the valley. Those omnipresent Utah mountains had a way of stealing your breath without warning or reminding you that escaping into the wilderness for a hike up Little Cottonwood Canyon or a camping trip at Jordanelle was just a blink away.
6. The unending variety and derivatives of names
Taytum or Jaymz were always some favorites. But you did always appreciate Braydon for its many possible derivatives: Braden? Braydin? Braytin? Braighten? Brayzlee?
7. Never feeling directionally challenged
The massive Wasatch Front and grid system city layout in Utah always made it easy to know your north from south and east from west. Once you leave, you fall victim to becoming ‘directionally challenged.’
8. Unpredictable weather
Because there was something vaguely exciting about not knowing if you’d be wearing shorts in February or be complaining about random snow flurries in June.
9. KSL Classifieds
Whatever you are trying to sell or buy, Craigslist never comes close.
10. Freeways
Once you leave Utah and run into your first toll booth you start to realize why other states might call a perfectly good freeway a ‘highway’ or ‘interstate,’ because in Utah you never paid anyone to drive on I-15 or I-80, all the while enjoying cozy wide lanes and plenty of free parking.
11. Spontaneous trips to Zion
Or maybe it was Arches or Canyonlands. All it would take was a whim and a tank of gas and you could get up close to internationally-famous rock formations like Delicate Arch or create lasting memories with friends and family climbing Angels Landing or braving the Slot Canyons.
12. Neighbors who wave when you drive past
Remember what it was like to have neighbors who knew your name and might have even showed up to help unload or reload the moving truck? You don’t know what would happen if you started waving as you drove down your current street, but you could picture a few odd looks.
13. Elaborate ‘Welcome Home’ gatherings at the Salt Lake City Airport
So what if they were never for you? There is something fun about riding the escalator down to the baggage claim and seeing anxious extended families huddling around balloons and posters saying “Welcome Home Sister Dawson” or “Mission: Accomplished.”
14. The 24th of July
It was always more than a second Fourth of July or an excuse for some people to parade around in pioneer clothes.
15. Lagoon
Even though you are convinced the white rollercoaster is a death trap waiting to collapse at any moment, you’ll forever cherish the sticky cotton candy, those old-fashioned portraits at Pioneer Village, Frightmares during Halloween, and checking out hotties (when you still said “hotties”) as you crossed the amusement park on the sky ride.
16. The “DTR”
Life seemed simpler when you could have a ‘define-the-relationship’ with a prospective partner and people knew what that meant.
17. Locally grown fruits and veggies
Strawberry Days festivals anyone? What about Bear Lake raspberries, cherries on the back yard tree, or fresh corn on the cob from the Downtown Farmer’s Market? Mmm.
18. Downtown Christmas lights
To date nothing screams holiday season to you like bundling up in baggy coats and stupid-looking hats and heading to Salt Lake with family or friends to freeze to death admiring the streaming colored lights covering every surface of Temple Square.
19.Dessert. And more dessert
Since dessert is the drink of choice in Utah, there were never a shortage of chocolate bunt cake stalls, and any excuse was good enough to eat raw cookie dough or head to Red Mango, Yogurtland, Coldstone, or other specialty ice cream stores. With chopped up desserts sprinkled on top for good measure, of course. 
Funny Bulgarian expressions
Photo: Donald Judge
1.
“They will check out your clothes when they greet you and your mind when they part with you.”
По дрехите посрещат, по ума изпращат
Being well-groomed is important in Bulgarian culture, especially when we want to make a good first impression. We do pay a lot of attention to our “packaging” to make you curious about what’s inside.
2.
We Bulgarians don’t just save money. We save “white money for black days”
Бели пари за черни дни
Because we all know “life is a wheel and we can’t always be on top of it”. Even when we are happy, which happens, we should prepare for the bad times that will most certainly come after our super short moments of bliss. We can’t even be too happy about feeling great.
3.
“Even 100 hits on another person’s back are not enough.”
На чужд гръб и 100 тояги са малко
This expression reminds me that a little more empathy probably wouldn’t hurt us as a whole.
4.
“I don’t want to feel good. I want my neighbor to feel bad.”
Аз не искам аз да съм добре, а на Вуте да му е зле
A Bulgarian writer once told me “if no one hates you in Bulgaria, you are no one. You are zero”. Your neighbor has an expensive car, earns more money, and fucks good-looking women? He surely deserves rotten fish to be thrown in his garden for having a better lifestyle than you.
5.
“No sword can cut a bent head”.
Наведена главица сабя не я сече
When our rights are dishonored, we have two options — raise our voice or stay silent. Those of us Bulgarians who dare to be honest and stand for something always risk getting in trouble or getting fired. I would rather “part with my head” than be silently passive-aggressive and always complain, yet does nothing to improve her own life.
6.
“Whenever I feel like working, I sit and wait for the feeling to pass.”
Кога ми се приработи, седам и чекам да ми мине
Living in a poor country, most of us want to have decent salaries. But a recent Eurostat study shows how 232,000 unemployed and abled Bulgarians aren’t even looking for a job. Sure, that huge four-figure salary can magically appear in our bank accounts with just wishful thinking. Miracles happen.
7.
“While two Bulgarians are arguing, a third one always wins.”
Двама се карат – трети печели
We always lose when we are not united. We know that and yet keep making the same stupid mistake to divide by our differences. Every. Single. Time.
8.
“An ill person carries a healthy one on his back.”
Болен здрав носи
This is the title of a famous Bulgarian fairytale. The morale in it is that tricky people will always try to abuse your weaknesses, if you let them.
9.
“While the smart ones are thinking, the crazy ones are doing crazy things.”
Докато умните умуват, лудите лудуват
This expression judges the passiveness of those who think too much but never act. Letting crazy people be the active ones can do a lot of damage to a country.
10.
“A day can provide a year.”
Ден година храни
After a huge five-digit amount appears in our bank accounts, we should make it last for a year. What is wrong with having a one-day working year? Don’t be jealous, reader.
11.
“A hungry bear doesn’t dance horo”
Гладна мечка хоро не играе
Don’t expect us to be excited about working when we are hungry. Or full.
12.
“He is as stubborn as a donkey on a bridge.”
Запънал се като магаре на мост
So you think this article sucks and doesn’t really reveal Bulgarian culture? Bite me. You are wrong and I am always right, of course. I’m Bulgarian. End of discussion.
13.
“It doesn’t matter if we win or lose — either way, we are getting drunk”
И да паднем, и да бием – пак ще се напием
Life shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Especially when we lose.
14.
“A guilty person runs when he isn’t chased.”
Гузен негонен бяга
This probably suggests we aren’t the best liars in the world.
15.
“He who eats all the banitsa is not the guilty one, the guilty ones are those who let him eat it.”
Не е виновен този, който яде баницата, а този който му я дава
It is important to take responsibility and stop accusing others for our misery.
16.
“He who sings doesn’t have bad thoughts.”
Който пее, зло не мисли
Although I’m still not sure if this compliments our culture or just makes us look grumpy.
17.
“Friends will be friends, but cheese still costs money.”
Приятелството си е приятелство, но сиренето е с пари
We love doing favors to our friends. But we also love to make a living.
18.
“There are no heroes without wounds.”
Юнак без рана не може
My mum used to say this every time she saw the little me crying with bleeding knees. This taught me to appreciate each bruise, tear, or drop of sweat that ever got me closer to success.
19.
“United Bulgarians can lift a mountain.”
Сговорна дружина планина повдига
Many capable Bulgarians tend to sometimes waste their plentiful energy on being destructive. Khan Kubrat once showed his sons how easy it was to break a single stick, but impossible to break a stack. As a stack, we can do anything. Especially when our stubbornness is actually used for greatness.
And a few funny ones…
A Bulgarian is not “uninterested”…his “lighthouse hurts” (боли ме фара).
A Bulgarian doesn’t “not get it”…she just “warms up slowly” (бавно загрява).
A Bulgarian doesn’t “get in trouble”…he “wades the onions” (сгазвам лука).
A Bulgarian never says “never”…she says “when the clogs blossom” (когато цъфнат налъмите).
Bulgarians won’t “trick you”…they will send you to “go find green caviar” (пращам за зелен хайвер).
A Bulgarian doesn’t “brag”…he “pretends to be two and a half” (правя се на две и половина)
A Bulgarian won’t tell you that you are “bad at something”…he will tell you that you are “naked water” (гола вода). 
How to explain gaps in your resume because of travel
I HAVE OVER 15 VERSIONS OF MY RESUME ON MY HARD-DRIVE. Being on-the-go full-time for 4 years was an incredible experience, but I am not independently wealthy. I had to work along the way to finance my travels. Many of those jobs were in the hospitality industry which exist worldwide.
My experience is all over the map. Depending on the job I was looking to get, I usually had some explaining to do.
Here’s a version of my current resume:
As you can see, my experience is literally all over the board. It starts in Illinois, takes me to Hawaii (two different islands, now living on a third), back to the mainland in California, to Colorado and Wyoming. This doesn’t even account for a year I spent on the east coast in Philadelphia or my gap year where I traveled to Australia and Thailand.
Typical reactions I’ve received:
1. Why all the moving?
2. Hawaii? Why would you ever leave there?
3. What’s in Wyoming?
4. Looks like you’ve had a lot of fun! (This one I like!)
5. If I hire you, you aren’t just going to up and move again are you?
In my years of trying to get jobs and interviewing with every personality type you can think of, I’ve devised a way to make my travels work to my advantage. I want my prospective employer to see my frequent moves as as positive, not a negative.
Just to let you know, more than half the time, there is a stigma in the professional world when it comes to frequent travel. Some employers might let on that they think it’s cool and they wish they could travel. Some more positive interviews I’ve been on, owners and interviewers actually recount their travels with a gleam in their eye: they “get it.” I’ve actually got my job in southern California by just walking in the restaurant and handing my resume to the owner. My travels and world experience impressed him so much, he wanted me on the team. He was a world traveler himself and knew firsthand how travel makes you a more well-rounded employee.
Photo: I loved my bosses at my job in Southern Cali. I was able to taste and help order wine, eat cheese and photograph for the local newspaper!
I loved my bosses at my job in Southern Cali. I was able to taste and help order wine, eat cheese and photograph for the local newspaper!
More often than not though, people in the “real-world” are usually in a bubble. They can’t understand why you would choose to live in a jungle in Hawaii or still can’t comprehend WHAT, exactly, Wyoming has to offer. It becomes a little exhausting explaining myself to people, but hey, I DO need a job after all!
Many of my jobs have been “seasonal.” Many people I talk to don’t even know that seasonal jobs on the mainland exist. A seasonal job is one that lasts for just that, the season. A great resource for seasonal jobs is Coolworks.com. You work a summer in Yellowstone National Park, then the job ends. Then you work a winter in the Colorado Rockies at one of the ski resorts, then come April, that job ends. It’s a great way to see beautiful places all over the country while making money. It requires frequent travel, interviewing and job hunting for your next gig.
Photo: Why WOULDN’T I take a job in Wyoming where I can explore Yellowstone National Park on my days off??
Why WOULDN’T I take a job in Wyoming where I can explore Yellowstone National Park on my days off??
Making the leap OUT of the seasonal world causes you to encounter employers who don’t understand the seasonal lifestyle and wonder why you’re a vegabond that can’t hold down a job. For those people, you have your work cut out for you.
Here are some tips to get you through an interview where you have to explain gaps in your resume because of travel:
1. Make travel seem essential: When someone starts the conversation, “Why all the moving?” that doesn’t exactly sound like the most welcoming invitation to hear about my galavanting. In fact, it sounds like a threat, like they’re standing arms crossed waiting to judge my response. I found that the most effective way to soften up my interviewer is to make the strong argument that travel was essentially required for my jobs.
My response: Because the hospitality industry is world-wide, opportunities, often better opportunities, are presented to hospitality professionals who are willing to relocate. I don’t have any children and find it easy to take promotions and new positions in new locations. Plus, I have a Journalism degree, so on the side I’m a travel writer. I’ve been published in The Huffington Post, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and more. I wouldn’t be able to pursue my writing or advance my career if I didn’t take new jobs all over the country.
These publishing bragging rights didn’t exactly come from sitting on my butt in my hometown
These publishing bragging rights didn’t exactly come from sitting on my butt in my hometown
2. Highlight the positives of travel and how it translates to “real world” experience: I always get the question in an interview along the lines of: “Tell me about a time where you couldn’t get along with or see eye to eye with a fellow employee. How did you handle the situation?” When you travel the country or the world, you’ve probably problem-solved your way out of some gnarly situations with all types of personalities. Use this to your advantage!
My response: (Start off with a specific anecdote). When you travel as much as I do, you are presented with unique problems in which you have to solve in order to survive. You meet a variety of different personalities from all over the world. I’ve become really good at reading people and getting along with others from all walks of life. Travel has opened my mind to different ways of living and respecting others’ opinions and ways of doing things. I believe my experience leads me to be an excellent team player with an open mind who is focused on nothing more than solving the task at hand quickly and efficiently.
3. Don’t be afraid to talk about your experiences: It’s pretty obvious that you’ve traveled based on your resume. There’s no reason to hide behind a wall of shame. You should be proud that you’ve been able to organize a life where you’ve been able to achieve individual goals. Highlight that. All travelers, especially solo travelers, are self-starting individuals who are smart, savvy and usually great leaders.
Photo: During my tenure as a hospitality manager at a tropical agriculture farm, I managed bookings, reservations, lead volunteer work shifts and more.
During my tenure as a hospitality manager at a tropical agriculture farm. I managed bookings, reservations, managed volunteer work shifts and more!
This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn More
4. When in doubt, turn the conversation around: If the specific job you’re looking at doesn’t involve travel one bit and the person interviewing you is looking at you practically dumb-founded, chances are this isn’t the right job for you anyway. In order not to thwart an opportunity, take the time to interview your interviewer. A lot of people fall in the trap of thinking an interview is all about drilling a candidate. Make sure you ask questions and interview the company. You need to know that this is the right fit for you, after all. Here are some sample questions I like to ask when it’s time to take the focus off myself:
a. What is your company culture like here?
b. What benefits do you offer your employees?
c. How does your company invest in the health and wellness of your employees?
d. What do you like about working here?
Letter d almost always puts the interviewer and I on a level playing field. I love asking that question! It usually catches my interviewer off-guard and makes them ponder, usually rather uncomfortably, what they like about working at said company. I get to sit back, smile, relax and learn about their experience and gauge whether or not this company is the right fit for me.
Overall, I’m not afraid to ask the hard questions during an interview. I’ve had so many jobs that I know what I’m looking for in a position. Travel has led me to experience many different work cultures, some excellent, some bad, and I’m able to read a company’s vibe pretty well during an interview.
The point is, don’t be scared to interview just because you have a non-traditional resume. Chances are the right person will come along and see your world experience as a huge asset. That is the person you want to be working for anyway: someone who recognizes your talents and values that you care about personal growth and experience. 
June 4, 2015
You know you are a Hawaiian when...
Photo: Mandolinn
1. You can actually pronounce Kama Aina when you ask for a kama aina discount.
2. You replace random English words with Hawaiian. You’re a haoli (white girl). After work is pau hana. When you’re done you’re pau. A puka is a hole. And you live up Mauka.
3. Giving street directions to tourists becomes cumbersome. They refer to a route by its number. You have no idea what route number it is – to you, it’s just the main road. And then they have to go and look at you funny when you tell them to go up mauka or that a restaurant is on the makai side of the street.
4. You start every email with Aloha and end with a Mahalo.
5. You show up everywhere on Island time, including work. And no one says a thing.
6. You own one pair of shoes: Local brand slippers. And when they blow out, you go barefoot until your next pair.
7. You can’t go into a house without taking off your slippers. You do this even when visiting relatives on the mainland.
8. You finally realize that when somebody tosses you the Shaka, they may just as well be saying, “%#$* you” as they might “hang loose” or “take it easy, bra.” Trust me.
9. You spend every weekend camping on the beach.
10. You don’t feel like yourself if you go more than a day without seeing the ocean.
11. You think nothing of zipping around on a scooter in bare feet and no helmet.
This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn More
12. You hitchhike and pick up hitchhikers.
13. You ride in the beds of a pick-up trucks.
14. Spam musubi from the local Tesoro station is your go-to breakfast.
15. Poi starts making an appearance at every meal.
16. You start referring to your friends and neighbors as Auntie This and Auntie That.
17. You pull out a sweater, hat and fur-lined boots when the temperature drops below 70F.
18. When surf’s up, well, surf’s up. 
15 things you get nostalgic about when you leave Alabama
Photo: Pat david
1. $7 inner tube rental.
You would load up the cooler and float the Styx river in south Alabama (seven bucks to rent an inner tube, and an extra seven to rent a tube to put the ice chest in), or the Little Cahaba near Birmingham. White water rafting on Chatahootchee River and kayaking on the Coosa River were also a guaranteed good time, as were heading to Smith Lake near Cullman and Lake Lurleen in Tuscaloosa.
2. Sinking your toes into the sand Orange Beach.
Or Gulf Shores. You’re not picky. Sipping a cold beer or one of the Florabama‘s Buschwackers in the cool gulf breeze on the beach has to be one of the best feelings in the world.
3. Real sweet tea.
Ordering unsweet tea (gag) is a telltale sign you’re from the north. We know that Alabama sweet tea is the best drink to go with barbecue (ribs at Dreamland). You shake your head in frustration and utter disappointment when other states try to offer you their sad ‘version’ of sweet tea.
4. Calling everything ‘Coke’.
In Alabama, it’s all Coke. Not soda, not pop. Coke.
Waiter: “Do you want a Coke?”
Customer: “Sure, I’ll take a Dr. Pepper.”
5. ‘DEGA.
Or as outsiders call it, Talladega. The Talladega Superspeedway hosts some of the biggest NASCAR races of the year, and the small city of Talladega is transformed as thousands of eager fans gather. It’s not just about the race, it’s about the culture, the history…and the epic camping and tailgating. Electricity and an intangible energy fills the air as Budweisers are cracked, tailgates are let down, and memories are made (and quite possibly soon forgotten).
6. Starting to tailgate in the morning and watch SEC games all day into the evening.
It’s either Auburn, Alabama, or you’re not from here. SEC football isn’t just a sport down here. It’s a way of life. Seriously. We plan our work, family life, even weddings around games. No out-of-state alumni bar will compare (though they can be the next best thing for a homesick Alabama grad who moved after college).
7. Everything fried and generously dipped in ranch.
This includes pickles, green tomatoes, and of course chicken. Classic “meat and three’s” are a favorite (Martin’s in Montgomery is one of the best). Even Mexican restaurants like Homewood’s The Little Donkey feature fried chicken on their menus, and it’s dang good. The Mainstreet Cafe, a quaint and quirky restaurant in Madison that was transformed from an old jail and still has bars in the windows, has some of the best fried green tomatoes next to the ones your grandma makes. Green Acres Cafe in north Birmingham is close competition, and have fried wings so good you’ll wanna slap said grandma.
8. Space Camp.
Rocket City, anyone? There’s nothing like being able to go to the Space and Rocket Center and tour space camp, see rockets, simulators, and ride Space Shot, which lets you know what it feels like to launch in a rocket. It satisfies the inner kid in all of us. And the inner adult, because now you’re old enough to finally enjoy the Biergarten. Win.
9. Watching flickering lightning bugs twinkle and light up the open sky.
Or smelling sweet honeysuckle in the spring. Magnolias in south Alabama, Alabama pines, and our thick red clay paint a picture of peace in my heart, and the memory of them made it ache when I moved and made my DC commute filled with metros and busy city sidewalks.
10. Smelling the rain before it comes.
Afternoon thunderstorms pass through and fade, ridding the air of its heavy humidity, creating the perfect porch sitting weather. We like to sleep with the windows open when this happens and drift off to the peaceful lullaby of crickets and midnight trains.
11. Good, old-fashioned manners.
We were raised to say please, thank you, Sir and Ma’am. Anyone even slightly older than you will be addressed as Ms. or Mr., even if it’s prefacing their first name. We open doors and help strangers whose cars are stalled or need a helping hand without thinking twice.
12. Quirky names.
Arab, Choctawhatchee River, Cut and Shoot, and Lickskillet to name a few of our rivers and towns. And hearing someone actually pronounce Mobile correctly always makes us long for home.
13. Seeing everyone you know at the grocery store.
As one Facebook friend put it, “Considering I moved to New York City, I miss how Wal-Mart was like Time Square for me there; that place never sleeps.”
14. Roadtripping south down I-65. Basically just for the ice cream.
No road trip south down I-65 was complete without a stop at Peach Park. We’d wander around to stretch our legs and stock up on plenty of their fresh peaches before sitting on outside on a porch swing to enjoy a cone of their trademark homemade peach ice cream.
15. Feeling nostalgic as soon as you hear one of our unspoken theme songs.
“Sweet Home Alabama” and “Dixieland Delight” coming on the radio will always make your heart burst with joy and have you choking back tears all at the same time. 
To Iowa: I'm sorry
Photo: Aurelien G. Photographie
Iowa, I’m sorry.
For years I’ve written off your people, cursed your winter-torn roads, pitied your empty shopping malls, lamented your land locked-ness, and readily given you the title of “The Land of Missed Opportunity.” I made up my mind that you had nothing to offer me; you and I, we simply wanted different things. But for years, it turns out I was wrong.
You see, Iowa, I had to go experience other things. I wanted to be a part of a culture that Rand McNally wouldn’t describe as “remarkably homogenous.” I wanted — needed — to smell the sea. I craved the scent of curry wafting through the air between bistros. I yearned for immaculate concert halls, centuries-old cathedrals, and buildings that touched the sky. I needed to throw on a t-shirt on a December morning and go for a run in the hills. I wanted to have something to write about. And I found those things, Iowa. And it was grand.
All photos by Jacqueline Kehoe
But it turns out, Iowa, that everyone else is going to the beach, too. It turns out that people being “remarkably homogenous” has everything to do with who you choose to be around. It turns out that too much curry is just plain nauseating. It turns out that buildings that touch the sky can’t help but hide it from view, too. And as for running in the green, rolling hills of a coastal winter, I did that maybe once.
I forgot what else it is you don’t have, Iowa. You don’t have city after city, miles of rolling concrete underneath your stationary tires, regardless of what hour of the day it is. You don’t have cafes that only sell coffee and $4 toast as part of the next “artisan trend.” And while people that call your land home might often look the same, that’s just the signature curve of a Midwestern smile.
You have quite the calming air about you, don’t you, Iowa? The ability to convince anyone and everyone that it’ll all be okay. You never fail to reassure us that we’ll make it through, that we shouldn’t be worried if we’re “coming out on top” because there is no top. The Jones aren’t calling – the open road is. And there are miles and miles of it. Miles and miles of open road, winding and unblemished, full of greens, burgundies, and golds just waiting to be conquered.
What I didn’t understand before is that to live in Iowa is to live an exordium — to live at the beginning of what could be anything. Life there is douce: a word I recently learned means “quiet” or “serene,” but if you thought “sweet,” well, it’s that, too. To live in Iowa is to look outside and see the world in front of you, free and full of opportunity, just as it should be. And it is that now which I crave, Iowa. And I know nowhere else to find it but in you.
So wake up in the morning with me, Iowa. Maybe we’ll lounge in bed together, listening to your thunder. Maybe we’ll throw the windows open and take in your summer breeze. Or maybe we’ll go out onto the patio with a steaming cup of coffee and just breathe each other in. And it’ll be beautiful.
This article was originally published in Our Iowa magazine, February 2015, and has been re-published from The Strange and New with permission.
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