Idaho. That's a state out west, right?

There's a road out west,
Don't go nowhere, and back again.
You can try your best,
won't get you there, my friend, my friend,
you go back again to Idaho...

I was reading the blog of a friend last week, (see my blog list to the right, hell he IS my blog list) and he's pretty funny most of the time. I never really am sure if he is making the shit up, or is more or less relating his real life to us. The funny part for me, is that I can imagine him as he describes being "all jammied up" with a beer in his hand walking around his apartment contemplating his life. And I contemplate mine too, thinking to myself well at least I don't live in Idaho.

OK, kidding!! Now before anyone gets their dander up, let me start by saying that I did live in Idaho, actually, for about 3 years as I went to college in Pocatello. I loved every minute of it. Major awesome skiing everywhere, away on my own for the first time in my life, (ok second, the one semester trial run in Tampa didn't work out, I admit, I was homesick), joined my first band with my jammied friend, basically it was one of the best times in my life. But you see, I am a suburban boy, of the Chicago variety, meaning I live close enough to one of the great cities of this country to enjoy all it's assets, yet far enough away that I can avoid it's many pitfalls. You know, murder, politics, taxes, city stuff. And one of the great attributes is being able to see just about any touring artist as no one would DARE leave Chicago off of it's schedule (you here me Peter Gabriel?). But in Pocatello, Idaho? Good luck.

In 3 years at school, exactly 2 concerts came to town. Bon Jovi, (sorry, not a fan), and Van Halen. Not really into VH at the time, I was more into openers BTO, a good 300+ pounds and 10 years past their prime, but I went anyway. Decent show, no swinging across the stage David Lee Roth, but with the newly crowned Sammy Hagar. I did manage to see a few more shows during my time there, but like I said, they were not in Pocy. Now around here, within one hours drive, there has to be a good 50 different place to see a national act, including all the intimate venues and massive arenas from Chicago to Milwaukee. But in Idaho? We had to drive 4 hours to Salt Lake City, Utah, to see Frank Zappa and UB40. Occasional trips to Boise as well, but they got about twice as many shows as Pocatello did, which to say, ain't much.

Living out west is living in isolation. Let me clarify. You leave Gurnee, IL in any direction, you hit Libertyville or Waukegan or Grayslake or Wadsworth or any number of tiny municipalities. And when you leave those you hit more of the same. And so on, and so on... Leave Pocatello in any direction and you will be a good 20 minutes from the next town. That's just the way it is. Thus, for some odd reason it always felt like I was living a good 10 years earlier than in any part of the country, like Pocy was trailing the rest of the country by a decade and liked it that way. I have no physical evidence to back this up, but it just felt like I was in a time machine every time school was up for the summer and I went back home.

The above mentioned quote is from a song I wrote about, duh, Idaho. My time there did leave a lasting impression on me no doubt, but there was never any intention to stay. (Unlike my buddy Lucky who went out west with me and has sort of melted into the landscape and has now become a fixture in Jackson, CO.) So when I say I am glad that I am not walking around my house in Idaho in my PJ's, drunk at 5pm on a Friday wondering how I screwed up my life, I am content that I am walking around my house in Illinois in my PJ's, drunk at 5pm on a Friday wondering how I screwed up my life. But doing so in Gurnee somehow makes it all better.