A Richmond Apology

For the VCU Brandcenter's annual magazine, I wrote an article about my experiences getting to know Richmond. For those who read this blog and have gotten a detailed view of my tourism, I've copied the text below.

To see the entire magazine, click this link. The article, with beautiful art direction by Leslie Buker, is on page 79.

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Dear Richmond,

As I write to you, I am stretched out on a rock at Pony Pasture rapids, enjoying the day. This moment and many others have led me to regret my attitude towards you in the early days of our relationship. I write to you today to apologize for the disdain that I showed you when we first met.

When friends told me that you were “the city that only looked like a city from across the river,” I took them at their word. I arrived in August of 2006 planning to get to know you only well enough to buy groceries, go out to dinner and take an occasional stroll along the nearby Canal Walk. For nine months, I ignored your many offerings while I sat holed up in my apartment or at the Adcenter, refusing to believe you could be an integral part of my life.

After finishing my first year of school, I stayed with you for the summer to intern at The Martin Agency. Because I had eight weekends to enjoy, I decided to spend them learning more about who you were. In order to kill two birds with one stone, I fulfilled a class assignment by starting a blog about the parts of you that I had seen. My blog, Living Richmond, started something like this: “Armed with a Dodge Neon, a map and a credit card, this Chicago native turned Richmonder expands her view of the area through weekend tourism.” Truth be told, I didn’t really plan on turning into a Richmonder. I also didn’t think that my tourist flirtation with you could last more than a summer. Once again, on both counts, I was wrong.

Since making the decision to get to know you better, every week has included at least one tourist activity within your borders. I have gotten to experience both your everyday and your extreme, visiting historic sites, museums, outdoor areas and festivals. My adventures have included taking a dip in the James River, tasting my first spoonful of Brunswick Stew and visiting a Tudor estate that was brought over from England and rebuilt piece by piece, among many others. I have heard the Byrd Theater’s mighty Wurlitzer play and have spent an afternoon at the botanical gardens looking at flowers that I could never grow myself. As I got braver, my tourist adventures expanded to neighboring areas such as Williamsburg, Washington D.C. and the James River Plantations. As a result of my Richmond tourism I have a new appreciation for you and your cultural offerings. I have gone from a student with no connection to you, the city I live in, to something much closer to a resident.

Please accept my heartfelt apology. I can truly say that I will be sad to leave you in May. You may look like a city only from across the river, but the proof is in the forty blog entries I’ve written which barely scratch the surface of who you are.

With Love,

Caitlin

PS, I hope it takes the new first years less time to figure out how interesting you are than it took me.

Upper Mattaponi Tribal Pow-Wow

A few weeks ago I went with my friend Kelly to the Upper Mattaponi Tribal Pow-Wow. I meant to write about it at the time but between my job search, my recent graduation and my plans to move away from Richmond, the entry got put on the back burner.

So here I am, weeks later, trying to remember the things that I thought were most interesting. Looking at the tribe's website, I think that their words sum it up best. "Honor the past, Imagine the future." Both in dress and in feel, the Pow-Wow was a study in thoughtful evolution.


I heard people point out that regalia changes such as biker shorts and CDs tied to sleeves to catch the sunlight seemed a bit too modern for their taste. I disagree. Like everyone else, Native American people live in a modern world. A Pow-Wow is not a re-enactment of previous Indian culture, but a gathering for the present group. We were treated to prayers, thoughts, rallying cries and celebratory speeches -- all of which focused on keeping their heritage in today's world. If there were a gathering for descendants of white families who followed their Manifest Destiny West, I doubt they would wear the same clothing as the outfits worn on the Oregon trail.

I guess that however inarticulately I've said it, my points are these:

1. Tradition is not static
2. Adaptation allows for survival
3. We can remember and respect the past without repeating it

Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back

Whew. Two days in Chicago made me a wimp - and it wasn't exactly cold in Chicago.

Richmond Recipes I Would LOVE To Have

As I start to pack up and move out of Richmond, I realize that while it may not be an internationally renown food capital, this city has some fabulous restaurants. Restaurants that I will miss very much, given their decidedly not-New York prices and ambiance.

If you know any of these recipes and let me in on your secret, you will be integral to my Richmond memories.

1. Curried Oysters with Cucumber Sauce from Six Burner

2. White Balsamic Dressing from Cafe Gutenberg

3. Squash Casserole from Comfort

FOR SALE

I'm moving out of Richmond mid-June and can't fit everything in my car. If you need any of the following, check out the link below to see photos, descriptions and prices. You'll have to come pick it up but I'll help you bring anything to your car, so let me know if you're interested!

http://picasaweb.google.com/caitlin.cody/ForSale

26" TV
Shelves
Comforter + duvet cover (used once)
Sleeping bag (used once)
Rolling drawer unit
Trash cans
Alarm clock
3 tier bathroom cart
Desk Lamp
Hand Mixer
Oscillating Fan

I'll probably be adding more stuff as I figure out just how small my car really is.

The Richmond Coliseum

I graduated with my Master's Degree today in the Richmond Coliseum. I had never been in the Coliseum before, and so while this sounds a bit obvious, I was surprised at how big it was. Perhaps the "wow" feeling was increased because instead of sitting in the seats I was sitting on the main floor looking up at the thousands of parents, other family members and friends who were looking down at me.

National Battlefield Park Tour

My father came to visit me in Richmond this week. While we spent most of our time together retracing my steps from this blog project, we also did something that I would probably never have done by myself. I have always enjoyed history when it is explained to me by people with a passion for it, but have never been much of a history buff myself. So when my Father suggested that we visit some battlefields in the area, I eagerly agreed. My Father has always been interested in Civil War history, and touring the battlefields with him was a chance to take part in his excitement.

Over two days, we visited the Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works, Beaver Dam Creek, Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill and Cold Harbor. I highly recommend a visit to the Civil War Visitor Center as it does a great job of giving a Civil War for Dummies version of the war while still remaining interesting for those actually do know about history. I will say, though, that I'm not sure I loved the video they play on the first floor. An older man with sad eyes narrates a scrip that starts off something like this: "The civil war? There wasn't anything civil about it! It was a war of Northern aggression..."

The Ashland Berry Farm

A few days after next week's graduation from the Brandcenter, we will have two days to impress recruiters from all over the country. As a leave behind, I've decided to make homemade jam to showcase my love of cooking, my Richmond tourism and some of the photos I've taken this year.

If you're going to take the time to make homemade jam, don't settle for store-bought strawberries. Store bought strawberries generally have white insides which are tasteless and fibrous. Fresh picked, local strawberries on the other hand are a whole different ballgame. Smaller, redder, and sweeter tasting and smelling, these berries make jam so good that if you eat too much you feel like you may go into sugar shock. And so today I visited the Ashland Berry Farm to find the perfect strawberries.

On the down side, the Ashland Berry Farm isn't doing pick-your-own berries this year. On the upside, they've contracted for berries from other farms in the area to be brought in. I now have some of the sweetest berries ever, and my car smells fabulous from the flat of strawberries that drove home with me.

The Ashland Berry Farm was wonderful - nice people, a huge variety of plants, great advice to their customers - but just as wonderful was the drive from Richmond. As soon as I got off 95 North the light changed to that perfect evening glow - photographers' light. The air in Richmond is starting to smell like honeysuckle and things are blooming and growing faster than anyone can chop and mow them down. As someone who loves to drive with the windows down but rarely has time for pleasure trips, today was a true luxury.

Shockoe Bottom in Photos

I just got a new camera (Canon Powershot SX100is - 8 megapixels, 10x real zoom with 3x digital zoom) which I am in love with. As an homage to my new camera, here are a few photos of Shockoe Bottom, one of my favorite Richmond areas.

17th St. Farmers Market

Thursday the 17th marked the 2008 opening of the 17th Street Farmers Market. While I didn't make it to that first day open, I was able to spend an hour enjoying the outdoor market today. At 75 and sunny, today was a beautiful day to wander around Schockoe bottom and talk with local farmers and artisans.

The market wasn't as crowded as it is later in the season by either vendors or buyers, but the extra space and time meant that today's market felt almost like a family affair. Those who were there got to chat while enjoying not only an outdoor market but a musician whose piano playing was amplified throughout the market space.

I bought a dozen fresh brown eggs and a jar of homemade copper kettle cooked apple butter.

I'd love to meet you in person.

As I mentioned last week, I am a grad student at the VCU Brandcenter and I am working on my thesis right now. At this very moment, I am looking for people who might be willing to give me their opinions on a variety of things. If you have a point of view on any of the following, please let me know!

1. Do you like to buy American-made products?

2. Are you a big NASCAR fan?

3. Do you think that you have really strong American values?

4. Do you practice a religion, and can you tell me how that religious practice fits into your everyday life?

5. Can you tell me what you're focusing on in this coming election?

6. Will you speak with me about where you see America's place in relation to the rest of the world?

If you would be willing to give me half an hour of your time this week, I will meet you at the Brandcenter at your convenience, and will provide you with food and my everlasting gratitude.

Thanks!

4/19/08: Thanks to everyone who participated in my project! My thesis is now finished.

Pocahontas State Park

Last weekend, with its perfect blue sky and 60+ degree weather, was the perfect day to be outside. Spring is definitely springing in Richmond and I decided to take advantage with a visit to Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield.

I've been wanting to visit Pocahontas State Park for months, but somehow hadn't yet made the time to get around to it. If you have not yet been, the park is a must-see. Whether you're a runner, a hiker, or a couch-potato/weekend outdoors-woman like myself, Pocahontas State Park has something for you. Their woods are filled with hiking biking and bridle trails that wind through forest and around the edges of lakes and streams, as well as a nature center and Civilian Conservation Core museum.

My afternoon at the Park was focused on a walk around Beaver Lake on the Beaver Lake Trail, which took about an hour. After walking the lake trail, I spent another hour lazing in the sun, soaking in the spring air. Pocahontas State Park is only about twenty minutes from my apartment, but the air there smells different. As someone who grew up loving the outdoors, especially deep woods, relaxing on a bench at Beaver Lake is about the most relaxing thing I can think of.

The musky-green smell of forest has always been a sort of elixir of life for me, and Pocahontas State Park did not disappoint on that front. Spring is coming to Richmond and I can't think of a better way to welcome it than an afternoon hiking one of the Park's trails.

Get out of your cubicle and go!

I am a desperate grad student...

And it would mean a huge amount to me if you would take my survey and/or pass it on.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=rYXQ5vpaKtnaFH2r0hbLYw_3d_3d

I'm looking for as large a sample size as possible, and the results are anonymous.

Thank you!


4/19/08: Thanks to everyone who took my survey. The survey is now closed.

Hirshhorn Museum

Yesterday, I took a mental health day and visited Washington D.C. After weeks holed up in my apartment doing work, I felt the need to experience a new culture for a day. As I normally do when I visit D.C., I took the Metro straight to the Smithsonian stop. I love the National Mall for two reasons in particular:

1. It's a national park that actually looks lived in; people run and play football but somehow it still feels like sacred ground.
2. Standing on the Mall, you have the opportunity to visit museums of all types, for free. It's like a museum buffet!

For this visit, I chose to stop at the Hirshhorn museum, one of my favorites. The Hirshhorn focuses on contemporary art and sculpture. They put together fabulous exhibits and the current exhibit is no exception. I spent two hours watching and listening to "The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image. Part 1: Dreams." According to the Hirshhorn's website, the exhibit "addresses film's ability to transport us out of our everyday lives and into a dream world." That description, while a bit bland, is scarily accurate.

The exhibit is so dark at points that wandering through its twisting hallways is both frightening and disorienting. Combine that with video installations splashing brightly onto walls and the exhibit is both shocking and memorable.

I don't know how to describe it other than to say that it is a must-see. Odd but incredibly interesting.

Modlin Center for the Arts

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the University of Richmond's Modlin Center for the Arts. At the time that I visited the Joel and Lila Hartnett Museum of Art, the gallery on the first floor of the building, they were running a particularly cool exhibit. The instalation, called "Figures of Thinking: Convergences in Contemporary Cultures" featured fourteen artists from different countries.

The exhibit was mixed media and included everything from a thought provoking video to a piece of art made out of hair-like nylon strings eight feet tall. I was captivated by the flow of the exhibit and found myself wanting to meet the person who had designed the layout. Each piece told its own story, but the placement of pieces in the exhibit seemed to tell one larger story as well.

While "Figures of Thinking" left the University on February 10th, I highly recommend a trip to the gallery. The University runs exhibits throughout the year, and even offers free public programs.

A Picture A Day

This semester, I have decided to take one picture of Richmond every day and post them to Flickr. In the process of enhancing my digital life with pictures, I found the Richmond, Virginia group on Flickr, and have added my pictures to their site as well.

If you want to see my life in Richmond one picture at a time, check out:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/caitlin28/sets/72157603787311992/

It's Been a While

It's been over two months since my last post. Two months of finals and then winter break and then starting my last semester of grad school.

I have failed to communicate. But now I'm back.