Concrete Wilderness

     I’ve left my lovely northwoods for a completely different wilderness experience.  It is a strange place where instead of pine trees towering in the sky there are hotels and office buildings blocking out the sun.  Instead of rushing around inside of buildings to get outdoors like when guests are at Voyageur  people rush around outside hurrying to get inside.  Instead of a meal around a BWCA campfire or by a lake I had dinner in a restaurant inside of another building, needless to say, there were no windows with a view.  It’s a very scary place to be and I wonder how people can live in this concrete wilderness called the Cities.

     We’re in the Twin Cities to see Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings play football in the dome.  Not my first choice of things to do on a September weekend but it’s part of the give 110% to your spouse thing.  Last night we had dinner with friends inside the Mall of America at the Twin Cities Grill.  While they have the most delicious parmesan crusted tenderloins you’ll ever taste the subterranean feel of the restaurant makes me feel like the walls and ceiling may collapse on me at any given time.  But then again, the entire Mega Mall idea and that many people inside of the same building tends to freak me out.  Therefore around noon today I will be really uncomfortable inside of an air filled dome with who knows how many people.  Wilderness solitude it won’t be but a sold out crowd to see Brett Favre in purple will indeed be wild.

     Before I become trapped indoors for the day I am going to go outside and enjoy some familiar territory.  We stay near the airport and the Minnesota River.  There’s a great trail through some marsh and along the river that makes me feel more like I’m at home.  When I block out the bridges with traffic and planes taking off and landing I can actually relax and forget about the concrete jungle that surrounds me.  

     By tomorrow I will be back in my natural habitat of woods and lakes and be comfortable once again. Until then I’ll try not to get lost or get too scared by the strange noises I hear in this concrete wilderness of the Twin Cities.