Driving through the "Country"

I just returned from a great 9 day trip. I can't really call it a vacation since there was no rest at all. But still a great trip. Any days that do not include work are great days!

So I flew into Denver. I'm actually thinking of moving there. Getting tired of the "Wall Street" life. Sometimes you just need a change of scenary. I'm taking some pointers from Ale, since she's moved around a bunch, lucky girl!
I've never been to Denver before this trip, but have been thinking of moving there for over a month now. Why Denver you ask? Well, here's my thought process. I asked myself where I could possibly see myself living after New York (truly the greatest city in the world). The east coast is just too expensive and too cold. I'm so over the winters here. I freeze my butt off for about 6 months a year. And then it's just way way too hot and humid for 5 months. Only about two weeks in the spring and two weeks in the fall are actually really nice. So out of 12 months, about one month is tolerable. And since I obviously can't stand the heat, the southern east coast is out too. Then there's the west coast. As much as I love California, I just couldn't live there, or better yet, I couldn't afford to live there. Plus the whole earthquake thing just doesn't appeal to me. So really, there isn't much left out there. Not too cold, not too hot and the least possible natural disasters possible, plus, I can't deal with the hick cities either (sorry, don't mean to offend, just people with no teeth sort of get to me). So really there isn't much to choose from! How sad! But I have some friends in Denver, and really have only heard great things about it. So that's my choice. But for some very very strange reason, I thought maybe Dallas could be a consideration as well. What was I thinking? The only thing I can say is that I had a brain spasm or something. So I bought a ticket from NY to Denver, decided to rent a car and DRIVE, that's right drive to Dallas and take a flight home from Dallas. Again, brain spasm! It's about 900 miles. oye.
So Denver was a HIT. I absolutely LOVED it. It's just unbelievable. The summers are nice and the winters (supposedly) are very mild. I'll have to go to check that out for myself!
So after a wonderful time cruising Denver, it was time for the long ride to Dallas. I chose to drive through Kansas and Oklahoma (why? Again, I have no answers, only to say brain spasm!!!) If you like and want total and complete isolation from humanity, drive through Kansas. There is absolutely NOTHING there. No houses, no trees, not even cows! It was very very strange. I did hit Witchta, which seems nice, but I didn't really stop. Then came Oklahoma, which was a little bit better, I saw some trees and even a few cows and homes. I finally had to stop, so I stopped in Oklahoma City, thinking, this is a city, it can't be that bad. (Again, if you are offended by this, well...TOO BAD, it's my opinion!) Ever watch those hick movies, with people that have no teeth, completely, well, hick? I always thought that wasn't really real, maybe exaggerated? Well, it is true. I couldn't believe it. Maybe I just hit the bad side of town, since I really didn't know any better, but from what I saw....I didn't want to stay there. So 15 hours after I started, I ended up in Dallas. I had thought I would stop half way and sleep, but I just couldn't do it. I think after being in Denver for a week, everything else just didn't compare. The people in Denver were so great, beautiful city with a great mountain view!
And then there was Dallas. I got to Dallas on Wednesday around 2am, found a hotel and finally slept! Woke up and started to drive around to see Dallas, and you know what? I hated it. The people, the heat (I came out, mind you it was only 11am, and my car thermometer said that it was 113 degrees outside. Now I know everyone is going to say, but it's not humid there. You know what HEAT IS HEAT. Sure humidity makes it more uncomfortable, but I couldn't be outside for longer than 10 minutes. So I decided that I was done. My flight didn't leave til Saturday morning, and I just didn't know what I would do with myself. So I called the airline and thank goodness got a flight out that evening. I was back in beautiful NYC by night time.
There really is no place like home, but hopefully for me, home will be in Denver soon. :)