Micky says… America is vast
Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 11:18AM Being Dutch and having lived in Holland most of my life, it isn't very hard to impress me with nature and mountains. Holland is flat, as flat as can be. Most of it is built under sea level and our highest point is 1058 feet above mean sea level. That’s barely as high as what we call a hill here in San Francisco.
Imagine how I felt last week driving up to Yosemite, up to 5.500 feet.;)
One of the first new words I learned when arriving in the US was “vast”.
America is vast, and for a Dutchie who is used to a country of 16,039 square miles it's just lovely to drive for hours on end without bumping into a country border.
It just goes on forever, and the great thing about it is that it gives me this sense of freedom and happiness. A Thelma and Louise vibe.
What an enormous beauty lies in those mountains.
Views like this make me feel the depth of my soul and somehow lift up my awareness and senses. Or perhaps it was the result of so much fresh air during our nature walks. It was extremely inspirational.
And then it was time to drive back…
The scenery changed and slowly I realized that we live in a mad world with ugly buildings, Kentucky Fried, Taco Bell and Mac Donald’s in every F… town.
Too many cars, too many people and hardly a tree in sight.
And when we finally crossed the bridge to our lovely San Francisco It felt like entering a jail.
;)
Well, at least I know the good stuff is out there.
Reader Comments (4)
Isn't it? From our 1st visit in 2001 to our most recent this year, which also incorporated Yellowstone, I've been struck by the scale and beauty of the US. In the UK I think most people have an image of the US as being largely urban but for me it's wild and woolly.
Two bears ran right past us in Virginia a few years ago. I've walked amongst the redwoods, along the Grand Canyon, in the Rockies. Wild and huge.
I recently put a video up cobbled together from bits I took this year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjWF-WIDeSI
You can see Yellowstone at around 0:56
Great article Micky. As a Canadian, I can also appreciate the differences between the vast countryside and modern N. American cities. I don't miss multi-lane traffic, high-rises, chain restaurants, and shoulder to shoulder sidewalks. I'm thankful most people dismiss the idea of living in the middle of no-where... I can be selfish that way :-)
Hey Micky,
Understand where you're comin' from. I'm a Dutchy as well and still live there. But I have the luck to live quite near the border to Germany, so every time I get the chance I pop round there. And I just love it! The nature and space and it is diverse as well. Imagine how I feel when every once in a while I cross the Swedish border, it feels like comin' home to me. Luckily we also have a lot of family and acquaintances in Austria and Hungary so we don't have to miss out on overwhelming nature too much. Holland can be a pretty crowded place, especially when you're a naturemonger. I love to search out our little islands in the quiet times. It's lovely, especially when you arrive very early in the morning before the first ferry's leave and you look out over a very stunning piece of nature the Wadden! It's like looking at a real live painting.
With all that borderless nature around you in great abundance, I understand it must be great for you to be there, enjoy it as much as you can!
Have been in San Francisco once, ages ago. Loved the city, i'm jealous of you!