Our "Winter Expedition" was a blast! T brought 8 people from MD up to CT. Only a couple had ever been there before and I think we were able to highlight a few key differences culturewise for them. In many ways, Fairfield County and Howard County are similar. They have about the same cost of living, average income and a large host of people who have grown up and stayed in the area. Both also represent suburban lifestyle, "soccer mom" types and a very low percentage of people who attend church on Sundays due to lack of interest, need, etc. Materialism reigns in both communities.
Some differences - the proximity of city/country in CT is much closer. I think the kids were surprised that Bridgeport was literally right down the street from my mom's house and you could really feel the difference between the two. While they were so close, I was pretty sheltered from the darkness as a child. Fairfield is also a "beach" community - that was fun. We also introduced them to the Greek diners - always a treat! Typically open all night, offering almost anything your heart desires any time of the day or night. That would pretty much sum up the heart of CT - instant gratification! There is also the issue of lack of cultural diversity in one community juxta posed with a very multicultural neighboring city. I could count the number of African American students on one hand in my high school, whereas right down the street, in Bridgeport, I could count the number of white students on one hand. How does that happen?? Some good discussion.
Since I didn't participate in the service project the kids were involved in, I can only speak for the experience they had at my mom's. I remember when T and I were looking for a house, I spent many hours on homesdatabase.com, where I could search to my hearts content for homes that I couldn't afford!! Over Thanksgiving, just before we found the house we are in, I was looking at homes while in CT and I found one in our current neighborhood. I said to my mom, "I can't imagine paying ### for a three bedroom, one bath house - that's ridiculous! How does a family survive with only one bathroom???" Of course, this was coming from me, the complete failure of a housekeeper, who really couldn't imagine having to keep one bathroom clean for guests!! My mom replied, "What wrong with that? That's what you grew up with!" And, she had me there!
My mom's house is now a 3/4 bedroom, 2 bath house, since they added a bedroom and bathroom when I was 14. That was our first shower in our house, which is over 100 years old. One student mentioned that is was strange that all the places they went (my mom's house, the mission in Bridgeport) had latches for doors and not locks on doorknobs. Funny observation - I've never even noticed that! Also, all the houses are different, there are not many developments with the same houses, like you find frequently in MD. (This is also a complaint that my brother, the architect, has echoed and my mother has decided to adopt so she doesn't have to move here. Boohoo!!) The kids actually noticed a lot more differences over the course of a couple days than I had.
Altogether, it was a fun weekend. I cooked a lot, spent a lot of time with my mom and enjoyed our new experience together. We also talked about all the vacation ideas we have - too many to mention. We narrowed them down to Williamsburg, Hawaii and Las Vegas. Of course, Disney came up, but it always does when the word vacation arises. I could just vacation at Disney for the rest of my life and be happy! (I really was thinking Land and Sea, but T gets a bit seasick - not his thing!)
I sent T to perspectives for me tonight to take notes. I'm a bit wiped from this weekend and the drive home. We made it in 4 1/2 hours - quite good with the girls. Easy drive, but still tiring. I can't wait to go up again - it seems that I'm not sooner back in MD than I start thinking about my next trip. I just can't seem to get enough of home!
Some differences - the proximity of city/country in CT is much closer. I think the kids were surprised that Bridgeport was literally right down the street from my mom's house and you could really feel the difference between the two. While they were so close, I was pretty sheltered from the darkness as a child. Fairfield is also a "beach" community - that was fun. We also introduced them to the Greek diners - always a treat! Typically open all night, offering almost anything your heart desires any time of the day or night. That would pretty much sum up the heart of CT - instant gratification! There is also the issue of lack of cultural diversity in one community juxta posed with a very multicultural neighboring city. I could count the number of African American students on one hand in my high school, whereas right down the street, in Bridgeport, I could count the number of white students on one hand. How does that happen?? Some good discussion.
Since I didn't participate in the service project the kids were involved in, I can only speak for the experience they had at my mom's. I remember when T and I were looking for a house, I spent many hours on homesdatabase.com, where I could search to my hearts content for homes that I couldn't afford!! Over Thanksgiving, just before we found the house we are in, I was looking at homes while in CT and I found one in our current neighborhood. I said to my mom, "I can't imagine paying ### for a three bedroom, one bath house - that's ridiculous! How does a family survive with only one bathroom???" Of course, this was coming from me, the complete failure of a housekeeper, who really couldn't imagine having to keep one bathroom clean for guests!! My mom replied, "What wrong with that? That's what you grew up with!" And, she had me there!
My mom's house is now a 3/4 bedroom, 2 bath house, since they added a bedroom and bathroom when I was 14. That was our first shower in our house, which is over 100 years old. One student mentioned that is was strange that all the places they went (my mom's house, the mission in Bridgeport) had latches for doors and not locks on doorknobs. Funny observation - I've never even noticed that! Also, all the houses are different, there are not many developments with the same houses, like you find frequently in MD. (This is also a complaint that my brother, the architect, has echoed and my mother has decided to adopt so she doesn't have to move here. Boohoo!!) The kids actually noticed a lot more differences over the course of a couple days than I had.
Altogether, it was a fun weekend. I cooked a lot, spent a lot of time with my mom and enjoyed our new experience together. We also talked about all the vacation ideas we have - too many to mention. We narrowed them down to Williamsburg, Hawaii and Las Vegas. Of course, Disney came up, but it always does when the word vacation arises. I could just vacation at Disney for the rest of my life and be happy! (I really was thinking Land and Sea, but T gets a bit seasick - not his thing!)
I sent T to perspectives for me tonight to take notes. I'm a bit wiped from this weekend and the drive home. We made it in 4 1/2 hours - quite good with the girls. Easy drive, but still tiring. I can't wait to go up again - it seems that I'm not sooner back in MD than I start thinking about my next trip. I just can't seem to get enough of home!
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