the Mysteries of Pittsburgh

In preparation for my trip Eastward I was thinking of buying the book, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. I heard the book was so incredible the rights were sold and a movie was created. Apparently it was released at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah this past February. I finally found the reviews, and they were . . . well . . . harsh. I emailed my buddy, Saw (Seriously, this is the nickname he has. I actually say this when I call him.) who lives in Pittsburgh, to ask if he’s read the book or knows anything about it. This was his hilarious response:

never read it, sounds interesting. the biggest mystery in pittsburgh is why everyone is 5 years behind the rest of the world and why people around here are so close minded.

"Wow, Saw. That really makes me want me visit!" I can’t wait to watch the spectacle that is Pittsburgh. To be fair, I’ll be visiting two Pennsylvania born-and-bred boys, who are 2 of the most thoughtful, compassionate and fucking bizzare people I’ve ever known. And both hold a special place in my heart. I’d have fun with them if we were adventuring in Austraila or just sitting on some basement couch, drinking Yueing Yeling. (Umm, I have no idea how to spell that beer since they don’t even ship it to the West Coast.) But I am looking forward to seeing N’s family, hopefully meeting Saw’s parents, visiting the Andy Warhol Museum, and doing some sightseeing. When N was living out here he once told me that Portland reminded him of Pittsburgh because of all the bridges. That’s one of my favorite things about Portland aka Bridgetown, so I can’t wait to see the similarities.
I’ll also be in Cleveland, OH. Honestly, I’ve never heard anything good about Ohio, except from my friend, Traci, who moved there and she loves it. But I believe there is greatness everywhere and if you’re willing to look there are amazing things to be seen in every city, every town, and in every country.
When I was 16 and flying to visit a close friend, Amanda for a one-week summer trip, everyone kept asking me where I was going. I replied, Oklahoma. People gave me the same response, all with a incredulous and somewhat sour type expression, “Why would you go there? What’s in Oklahoma? Yuck.”
As a somewhat naïve and not very worldly 16 year-old, I asked my mom what the aversion to Oklahoma was. She responded that most people from the NW would think of a vacation in Oklahoma as a “vacation” because of the scenery . . . “There isn’t much to do in Oklahoma. What is Oklahoma known for? People don’t necessary think of Oklahoma as vacation destination.” I really thought about this. Coming from Oregon, whenever I told people where I was from, I’d always been met with excited, complimentary praise of my home state and told how lucky I was to hail from such a green and beautiful state. It made me ponder Amanda’s dilemma. When she told people she was from Oklahoma was she met with the same pitying look? I went on my trip that summer, had a blast (at 16 the important things are malls, boys, and Sonic Dirve-Ins, which Norman, Oklahoma had in spades!) and enjoyed my time with Amanda. But I remember thinking, “I really am lucky to live in such a beautiful and geographically diverse state, but have I really even noticed it?”