July 29, 2001

Culture Shock

28 July, 11 p.m. ...Columbia, S.C.

I've been back in South Carolina for 15 minutes, not including taxi of the airplane I was riding in. I'm sitting at the airport -- the Columbia Metropolitan Airport nonetheless -- and the lack of city sounds are killing me.

No one's honking their horns. There are barely enough people within eyesight to field a basketball team. And the sound of crickets is defening when compared to the constant whir of garbage trucks at all hours of the night.

And the sudden realization that I'm no longer in civilization hit home when not only do I see parking by the passenger loading area at the airport terminal (that's one terminal, by the way), but when I was walking by the security checkpoint, I was greeted by a perfect stranger. I know that wouldn't seem strange had I just left South Carolina, but I just got back from New York City.

Culture shock sucks.

- Rich