I’ve always liked maps, especially topographical maps, so I’m undoubtedly more excited about this than you; but maybe you’ll humor me for a few sentences.
I think it is living closer to my hometown than I have in 10 years that has been making me so nostalgic as of late (I’m sure later this year, living closer to Miriam’s hometown than she has in 10 years may do the same to her), but this made those feelings kick in again.
Somewhere left-center of this map is where I grew up. Somewhere near Hanoverdale. It took me a while to figure out if this was the right map, but I’m pretty sure now.
When I was 15 I got my first job at Hersheypark, bottom-center, that map is from the 50’s so the only thing there are the words “Stadium.” Somewhere on that map is where I was in (as a passenger) my first and worst car accident, getting a ride home from that very job.
I also rode my bicycle all over that and all adjoining maps, to work and back, through Manada Gap (left-top) for a quick not-too-hard hill workout (the hard ones are on said adjoining maps), or to that little bump just under the word “Derry” on the bottom…that one was a lot harder than it looks.
The house I grew up in isn’t a little black square on that map; there was only a tiny shed on the property until my parents built the house in ‘82 (or thereabouts).
via boing boing
Update!! Major meme action here: this post from today, which mentions this This American Life program (RA file), This American Life being something I (yes, listen to, but) read about last night in the excellent Paste Magazine Issue #2.