Dear C,

been a while, how’ve you been? still trying to adjust to life up here in new york you know, meeting people, going out, trying new things. speaking of, I went to the columbia county fair this past saturday. haven’t been to a fair in ages.

It’s weird how even in different parts of the country you can always find things that feel right at home, the smell in the air full of fried foods and sweets. The bustle of all the different families and couples experiencing the new and familiar. The rides. heh. They had all the classics. Ferris wheels, slides, itty bitty roller coasters for the kiddos. I can picture you screaming your head off at the giant swing they had overlooking the whole fairground. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

But hey, they had some stuff that would have made your heart swoon too. The bunnies. Ugh, the bunnies were just adorable. And they had the fluffiest chickens, with these bushels of feathers on their legs that made them look like they were wearing pants — think that would have
made you chuckle.

As the sun set and the families with their little ones said their goodbyes, the crowd became noticeably more youthful. Teens on their first dates, school friends living out the last days of summer. It felt…nostalgic.

I think nostalgia gets a bad rap these days. We tend to get nothing but nostalgia in our everyday lives. Those endless remakes of movies and shows. Callbacks to more innocent times when we were all a little less aware of one another. Hell, even a certain president’s whole schtick is trying to remember the good ol’ days. But there’s a grace to embracing a communal tradition. There’s grace in remembering that there are places you can go to wander around, get lost, see a monster tractor rally and cheer the same cheer with your neighbors and loved ones. I think you would have loved being there.

Hope you had a good summer. And who knows, maybe you’ll be able to squeeze in one or two more fun adventures before the leaves turn crimson and light sepia glow. Whatever the case, I’m sending all my love from my little place up north.

Yours,
J