I’m leaving Wilkes-Barre to spend the next few months in Lancaster, for reasons I may or may not discuss in a later post. It’s been four years since I got a passport, and I’ve packed my suitcase more times since then than I care to count. Leaving Wilkes-Barre so quickly and unexpectedly stresses me out immensely, but if I work hard to be calm I can see the positive aspects of the too-short time I’ve lived here. The greatest value has been getting to know a new part of Pennsylvania. Indeed, the reason I have moved around as often as I have is that living in a place is the best way to learn about it. I’ve expanded my global horizons pretty rapidly at a young age but I’ve been slower about getting to know the state I grew up in. Honoring that new process, today’s Friday 5 is a list of PA places I’ve never been to. Hopefully the list will be inaccurate a few years from now!
- Erie. PA’s is so big! It’s hard to imagine that the state borders a great lake.
- Centralia. The famous town with a mine burning beneath it. Only 10 residents still live there.
- State College. I feel that I should attend a Penn State football game at some point in my life.
- Cameron County. Out in the PA wilds, the county with the highest unemployment rate in the state. Pennsylvania from Below wrote two stories about Cameron County last year: “Unemployment in the Big Woods” & “Drilling and the PA Wilds”.
- Jersey Shore. Yes, it’s a real place in PA. And no, it doesn’t even border New Jersey…
Oh, and click here to view my Pennsylvania photos on Flickr! (I’ll be posting more tomorrow!)
