The Resurgence

So apparently owls steal cats. True story. A Pennsylvania farmer told me that one nicked his in the middle of the night. "They're silent criminals," he testified, "one could swoop its prey up from right behind you and you wouldn't even know it!"

I still struggle with the idea of a feathered carnivore, so getting past the fact that these ones can lift felines will take time.

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My last post was exactly one year ago and a single entry can never do any full year justice, let alone the one I've had. The most drastic of developments being my move to Central Pennsylvania (Happy Valley). With the knowledge that this experience will color all my posts from here on out--as it has my thinking in general--what better way to break the ice?

Tangent: Speaking of ice, we're knee-deep in that stuff here. 

So I've gone from urban to... well... valley, really. DC's low rise office buildings have been replaced with the highly mountainous Pennsylvanian horizon. The void created by the absence of DC's venturesome squirrels is now filled with sizable but unassertive bunnies. Come to think of it, a similar parallel can be drawn about the human inhabitants as well. Motor vehicles have doubled in size and public transit has dropped to the least utilized form of transportation. I've heard that everything is bigger in Texas but, Central Pennsylvania is no place for moderation either. Certainly not in the weather department (but I won't get into that right now because I just might start crying). Even "small talks" are full blown conversations here. The only things "smaller" in Central Pennsylvania are the cab fares. With half the DC price and none of the DC attitude, I must say that cab rides are quite the pleasant experience here. There has to be a study done somewhere to show a correlation between community population and attitude. It's as though we see less of a need to be mindful of our human interactions when there's too many to be had.

I digress.

For a state with as dark a racial history as Pennsylvania, this valley is a unique gem. The sense of community here defies any trajectories that can be made from its past. I'm constantly blown away by the kindness and support that exists here, so as a formal introduction to my home away from home, I wanted to list some of what puts the happy in Happy Valley for me. Here goes (in no particular order):

1. Still mornings. The beauty of a University town is that dawn is avoided like the plague--with the sparse exceptions of students struggling to make it home after a night out or morning shift workers that haven't a choice in the matter. After years of the early morning hustle and bustle of Chocolate City, daybreak in Happy Valley is my epitome of tranquility.
   
   
2. Stars (cosmic; not hollywood). With little interference from city lighting, the skies are less bashful about shining down in Happy Valley.
   
   
3. Vanilla Chai Lattes at Saint's Cafe. Go for the large. They won't be able to serve it to you in the pretty "for here" mugs--those only come in small/medium--but the extra latte is worth enduring the paper cup experience.
   
   
4. Egg, Pesto & Cream Cheese Sandwiches at Cafe Lemont. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.
   
   
5. All things Webster. No, really: All things.
   
   
6. Pattee Library Quiet Study Area. Wooden furniture, warm lighting and all the desk space you need... in silence. Need I say more?
   
   
7. The Architecture building. If the unique interior construction doesn't enthuse you, the fact that the first floor restrooms have changing/shower rooms definitely will.
   
   
8. Collaboration > Competition. I'm speaking strictly about the academic sphere here (and within that, my experience with my department alone). Don't get me wrong, I'm all for healthy competition. The issue I have is when competition becomes the only way we know how to move forward (I know of entire communities in DC that operate in this way). The danger is that goals shift from being about the project to being merely about personally getting ahead. In my experience here, the identification of others with the same interests/goals is seen as an opportunity to collaborate, not scheme. Of course, in situations where competition is the nature of the game (grant applications, employment opportunities, etc), they bring it :)
   
   
9. Agriculture. I'm not entirely sure that I can completely capture this category, but the combination of the many farms, vineyards, tree nurseries, and just open fields sets both a beautiful and comforting backdrop to this welcoming community.
   
   
10. The appreciation of bottom-up community leaders (and yes, I saved the best for last). This is hands down, one of my most favorite things about Happy Valley. For those of you that are familiar with the area, I'm talking about the Russes (Mount Nittany Medical Center) and Mikes (University Park Post Office) of Happy Valley. If you don't know what I mean, think CNN Heroes. Individuals that are living proof that our impact is not defined by our roles/circumstances, but by what we do with what we are given. These unheralded leaders of Happy Valley--our Russes and Mikes--fuel our community from the crevices of their humble positions. Their existence is not unique to Happy Valley, but the respect and appreciation they receive here is. 

Photo credit: mtnittany.org