Being friends with MP involves, at least once a semester, some insane off-the-cuff epic outing, unpremeditated and fluidly conceptualized. This is one of the perks of being her friend. Also one of the perks of still being twenty-something and able to keep up.
Our most recent epic adventure involved a sudden trip to Pittsburgh with Cousin of MP, tallying twenty hours of driving in the span of two days, to visit the intrepid K. Flanagan and the Gentle Giant Linus, view an art show (featuring K. Flanagan's photography), see a concert by Army of Me and Like Summer -- both fantastic -- and then have the pleasure of listening to Like Summer's From Arlington Heights, with Love all the way home.
As always, a visit to Pittsburgh did the soul good. Something about that city (I call it America's City of Lights -- if you've seen downtown from the top of Mt. Washington at night, you'll know) restores. I like South Bend, I've found a lot of niches and quirky facets to enjoy, but "I miss those hills," and it's always wonderful to go back. Pittsburgh has layers of sooty industrial history which its contemporary culture incorporates and renovates, the most amazing arts scene (original artwork hanging in many bars and restaurants), tons of crunchy little shops, and fantabulous restaurants, from ethnic cuisines to old-fashioned diners.
So we went, we saw, we admired, we left, all in a whirlwind of nonstop activity. As we caught I-70, heading west, I tried to remember what it was I felt like I'd left behind.
And then I remembered. It was Pittsburgh.
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