Back in the previous century, I bought some property in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Travelers Rest, SC and started to build a house. For someone who was born and grew up in Southern California, it was a culture shock.
Driving was particularly challenging. The maps I found were inaccurate, and there were no street signs. When I got directions from locals, it was always something like “Go past the Thriftymart for two miles and turn right.” The trouble is, I could never find the Thriftymart. I would ask people where it was, and they’d say “it’s right down the highway there.”
Eventually, I was in a relaxed situation with a neighbor and I expressed my frustration. “Oh,” he said, “the Thriftymart burned down three, maybe four years ago.”
—2p