10 Things the Cape Has Given Me
Witten by Tyler Martin, AmeriCorps Member placed at the Cape Cod National Seashore as part of the ACC FireCorps
Being from the Midwest, I am not used to the lifestyle and geography that living on the Cape and in Massachusetts has to offer. This is my list of 10 Things the Cape Has Given Me.
10. Beaches Beaches Beaches. In the Midwest, we have the Great Lakes, which feel as big as an ocean. But we are not surrounded by different beaches like we are on the Cape.
9. Sand Everywhere! Being surrounded by beaches comes with a price. I don’t think I will ever be able to get the sand entirely out of my car, not that I am sure that I want to.
8. The Shellfish Love is real. Everyone here seems to be obsessed with shellfish. I don’t know what it is about the shellfish, but it is a serious lifestyle here.
7. Lighthouses everywhere! Back home, there are a good number of light houses that we can see while visiting Chicago, but this is insane on the Cape. Lighthouses are everywhere here, on the ocean and the bay side.
6. Patriots Nation!! I am a huge die-hard New England Patriots fan, so for the first time in my life, I am surrounded by my people. It’s a nice change of pace to not be surrounded by Chicago Bears fans
5. Awesome History. The history out here is incredible. Back home we have some cool history as well, but this is more Native American focused history as opposed to the French fur trading industry that jump-started my home town’s birth.
4. Provincetown. This town is like no other. P-Town is filled with so much life and vibrancy that is completely unknown to the Midwest. It has the feel of a city while still being a small tourist town.
3. FireCorps. Never before have I ever cut down a tree with a chainsaw. Nor have I ever gotten paid to light a field on fire. This has been a unique experience that I never knew back home.
2. Shark Alert! Surprisingly, the Midwest is not filled with sharks, so we have developed an expectation that upon entering water we will not have to worry about being devoured by a sea creature. That is not quite the case here.
1. What Chain Restaurants? On the Outer Cape, there are almost no chain restaurants anywhere. I am used to seeing IHOP, Texas Road House, McDonalds, and Taco Bell everywhere I look. It is certainly an interesting change of pace. Deciding whether or not the lack of Taco Bell’s is a good thing is still up in the air.
