By Alexis EdgarI stepped off the plane. It was night. The sky was pitch-black and so clear. The plane was unloading onto the tarmac and, as I approached the platform of stairs leading down to the pavement, I felt a breeze blow across me. The instant it hit me, all I could think was “oh, man. I'm being stabbed,” and in a sense, I was right. The wind was so sharp and cold it felt like over a dozen blades were slicing through me. That was my first experience at SeaTac. It was summertime. August, to be exact.Clearly, I am not from here. My name is Alexis, and I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere cold in my life. That is, until now.I’m from LA – Los Angeles, not Louisiana, although I don’t imagine the weather being too incredibly different. Coming to Bellingham from such a warm, sunny place was a shock to the system. I thought I was literally in shock due to uncontrollable shakes. Nope – apparently, that is what happens when you’re about to freeze to death.
Something totally new to me after moving here - deer, everywhere!
I was driven into a state of shock, once again, after scanning the radio stations while driving on the search for my new In-N-Out, and noticed Bellingham is lacking in diversity. Music diversity, that is!As a musiholic, I am flabbergasted at the way radio broadcasts work up here. In LA, the radio stations play their specific channel and genre 24/7. The radio up here seems to have a rotating schedule, or something. I will tune-in to a station that is playing current pop and later in the day it becomes smooth jazz. These are the flavors of Bellingham radio: top pop, smooth jazz, classical, country, and gospel. That’s it. Occasionally, I can score some awesome folk music, but it becomes something else during the day. I have yet to learn the schedule.What I loved about LA is the diversity in backgrounds meant a diversity in music. There are not only more stations to choose from, but each have unique characteristics. KROQ plays the angsty rock and punk music us 90s kids rock out to. KISS FM plays the top hip-hop. There are constant-playing folk stations, reggae, reggaeton, rhythm and blues, pure ska, oldies, international artists, you name it.
CDs available to buy in Bellingham. They make up for the lack of radio diversity!
I miss racing down the street at a pace faster than 25 mph listening to the classic rock of my youth, with the sun on my face and the wind whipping my hair. I finally understand what they meant when they said Bellingham is “The City of Subdued Excitement.”But, what Bellingham lacks in music, it makes up for in food. Anyone who’s had In-N-Out raves about the burger joint. I did, too, until I had the best burger known to man. The B”ham” Burger from Fiamma Burger is mouthwatering. I’d kill for that burger.
