I moved to the state of Maryland in August of 1997 from the lavish mountains of beautiful Colorado.
I had met a great guy online and had decided after 4 months of daily instant messages and phone calls that he was the one for me. Nevermind the fact we had never actually met in person.
So, I packed everything I could fit in my Ford Taurus Wagon and drove 2000 miles across the country to the hills of Maryland. I have called this state home for the past 12+ years.
In 12 years I have moved 5 times around this state.
I got married.
Had 2 children.
Got divorced.
Then got remarried.
My life went topsy-turvy at many intervals but this beautiful state stayed very much the same.
Maryland is the land of the Orioles and the Ravens.
Photo Credit: Maryland Kids Page
Photo Credit: Baltimore Orioles
Photo Credit: Baltimore Ravens
The land of Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida) growing wild along the highways and byways.
Photo Credit: Maryland Kids Page
In 1814 Francis Scott Key wrote the poem 'Defense of Fort McHenry' from which our nation's national anthem 'The Star Spangled Banner' was born after Key witnessed the Battle of Baltimore upon the Fort during the War of 1812.
Photo Credit: National Park Service
and yet Maryland is also known for its quirky and culture-rich hotspots:
In the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore we have Cafe Hon complete with its gigantic flamingo just above the restaurant which recently caused quite a stir with the locals.
When I first moved to Maryland I was indoctrinated into the world of going 'Downy Ayshun' and picking crabs.
No, I am not referring to a fabric softener and an unfortunate run-in with a sexually transmitted disease.
When a native Marylander says they are going 'Downy Ayshun' it means they are taking a trip to Ocean City, Maryland or one of the other nearby beaches along the Maryland and Delaware coast. I actually have some photos of 2 of my last trips to the ayshun.
Yes, this is me *gasp*
I grew up in 2 landlocked states and my father thought it was fun to show us JAWS on the big screen when I was a child. Thus, I grew up with an extreme fear of the ocean and all the evil things lurking in its depths. However, I recently conquered my fears by taking them head on and playing in the waves along Bethany Beach, Delaware. No shark attacks resulted. I lived to blog another day!
Last spring I took a long overdue girls trip to Ocean City where we spent the days laughing, eating junk food, shopping at the Outlets, and walking on the beach.
This was our shoe's responses to the upcoming trip home.
Sigh.
There is another requirement of living in the great state of Maryland. All residents must have a deep-seeded love for crabs. Most notably the Maryland blue crab.
In fact, in the town of Crisfield, historically referred to as 'The Crab Capitol of the World' and located on the Eastern shore of Maryland they have celebrated for 62 years the annual Hard Crab Derby! This gives whole new meaning to the term 'playing with your food'. The derby was actually highlighted in a Food Network TV show entitled, 'All American Festivals' which featured blue crab cook-offs and the famous derby itself.
However, many of you may be asking the same question I did when I moved here...
How in the world do you pick crabs?
Well, I have no earthly idea because the idea of dismembering my dinner totally grosses me out so thankfully I found a very informative video for those of you who desperately want to know the particulars.
Afterall, I'm not a Maryland native!
I hope you enjoyed my crazy tour of this state I call home. I hope it wasn't too much of a train wreck for those of you who have never been here.
and to those Maryland natives who are shaking their heads in scorn.
I gave it my best shot!
