H-Town Lovin'

In my haste to get back to Cornell, I worked things out that I would only have two weeks in Hanover. These past two weeks have flown by, probably because I have done absolutely nothing of note except go to the DMV, and yesterday I found myself pondering the existence of this fascinating small town.

I've spent a good part of the past few years abhorring Hanover, mainly for its superficial beauty. But yesterday, several things happened that made me begin to appreciate my hometown.

1) I was standing in line at the post office and heard the following:
Appalachian Trail hiker #1: "This town is so weird. Everyone here is so attractive. How is this even possible?"
Appalachian Trail hiker #2: "You haven't showered in 4 months. They look attractive because they're clean."

Actually, the latter comment is not exactly true. The residents of Hanover have two very distinct looks: preppy and sporty casual. Preppy means J.Crew, Polo, or Vineyard Vines. Very conservative and neat. Sporty casual consists of running shorts, a tshirt, and flip flops (backpack optional; nalgene not). A ponytail (often with stretchy headband) is required for girls, meaning that this is the look of choice for anyone who has failed to shower recently. Sporty casual is one of my favorite looks, particularly during the summer, when I shower on average once every three days.

However, AT Hiker #1 was right on. Everyone in Hanover is attractive. By some miracle of genetics and success (and one that is almost as puzzling as that in Russia which makes all women 10's and all men 1's), only beautiful people are allowed to live in Hanover. This may be so as not to detract from the town's picturesque architecture and decor.**

2) I went running with my mom and dogs and ended up at a stream. On our way down to the stream, a car pulled up, the window rolled down, and a woman asked, "Do you know where _______ lives?" Yes, actually, I did. To the extent that I gave creepily detailed directions ("you know the hill after the Ray School? OK, well, it's at the top of that hill, probably right at the peak..."). I think this is what they mean by "small town."

3) I got to play in the stream with my dogs.

So after these events, I was a little chagrined at leaving this all behind. If only I knew then what I know now....

I had just started my drive to Ithaca and was on the highway in Vermont, when I felt a subtle change in the car. Nothing by any means drastic, and something that could have been due to a strong headwind. Except there wasn't a strong headwind, and my check oil light came on right as I felt that shift. I tried to accelerate, but there was no power behind the car; I could barely sustain 70 mph going up a small hill. I decided to call my stepdad.

As I was on the phone with him, I lost all power. Though I was steadily pushing down on the gas, the speed dropped from 70 to 60 to 50 to 40. I pulled over. Several hours later, my car was towed and is now patiently awaiting servicing. I have no idea what the problem is, except that I went through a ton of oil.

How far did I make it out of Hanover? 20 miles.

**Actually, nerdily enough, I do know of a plausible explanation for this phenomenon: attractive people tend to be more successful than unattractive ones, partially due to the fact that people respond better to attractive people.