I spent 1-3rd grade in Ann Arbor. My parents were emotionally damaged humans who didn’t work very hard to avoid transferring that to all three of us. Going back there with my three siblings this past weekend was cathartic. Although I am the oldest and have the best recall, we still took quite a trip down memory lane.
Ann Arbor is an idyllic place to raise a family and go to college. The city enforces strict local preservation rules in 15 historic districts that include interior restrictions, one of the first in the nation to do this in residential areas. The population is 125,000, rising to 350,000 when you include surrounding areas. They have kept the place’s integrity; the architecture’s long-ago vibe keeps a neighborhood groove that feels good. That works really well in a state where everyone couldn’t be nicer. We had countless random conversations with people.
We returned to the house we lived in, including the apartment we had lived in before moving there. We were living in sunny Bel Air, Los Angeles, before moving to MI. My Mom was definitely not happy. Why we left Michigan has become hazy. Did my father not make the tenure track because he behaved so badly (not shocking), but that’s a tough one in academia, or did my Mom say this is not working for me? Who knows, but after 3rd grade ended, we left and went to live in Arlington, VA, before settling (literally, as it was rural suburbia back then) in Potomac, MD.
I went to Burns Park Elementary, which is three blocks from our house. The grounds are incredible. There is a big hill, which I remember sledding on. A brick building at the edge of this expansive park used to operate the ice rink, which we were told closed a few years ago. Memories come rushing back.
I never wanted to go to a big school, even though my Mom was sure I wouldn’t get into any, so why go deep? I applied to two schools: one safe school, Maryland, and Simmons College. My dad asked the head of admissions why they accepted me, but I went anyway. (Zingerman’s sandwich photo above – a must-stop institution)
We used to go apple picking and then return to Dexter Cider Mill for donuts and cider as kids. We learned that apple picking was on other farms around the area, but Dexter Cider Mill was the place for the goodies. I love a good caramel apple covered with peanuts.
We went to a farmers market and saw products we remembered from that time. Landjäger sausage and lemon drops (now I know where to buy them).
The all-day parties on Saturday, tailgating before the big football game, are like nothing I have ever experienced. It is a lot to take in, but I’m so glad I got to do it once. I also did not get the two memos: one about wearing Michigan swag and/or do not bring a bag. The stadium is large enough to almost fit most of Ann Arbor proper which is why the whole town gets into the football games!
And the weather was perfect. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. That early fall warm weather, with the crispness in the air. It is so good. If things had turned out differently, I would have been raised in Ann Arbor. Do they have an app for that yet?
