I am off to Wyoming for a few days for work, where I will be talking about what its like to live in Frontier America (from a health care perspective). For the purposes of this conference, frontier specifically means that there's roughly 6 people per square mile and you are 60 minutes and/or 60 miles from the nearest place that has a gas station or brothel. Obviously I can speak with unquestioned credibility on this topic because I have grown up near Boston and live in Washington DC.
However, I do live 60 miles or 60 minutes from the nearest quality Dunkin' Donuts, and that is enough to create a similar sense of longing that one might encounter when going into the boondocks and being without electricity.
I'm excited to drive from Denver at night to Cheyenne, to a hotel that I will be sequestered in, and then back to Denver Friday night. I anticipate that the frontier will look dark. I, however, will look smashing thanks to CNN's timely article about how to dress for the frontier. Going to leave those hiking boots at home, I guess.
Ultimately, I'm disappointed that I won't be seeing much of the country outside of Cheyenne. To take a four hour plane ride (in the middle seat. Middle Seat!), and drive all that way to be in a place that is remarkable for its lack of remarkability is depressing.
I really want to see where all that federal money is going - as Wyoming is ranked 24th in federal tax dollars received ($1.13 received for every $1.00 paid). Is it me or do those "red states" that rail against big government and "welfare," seem to be the ones that benefit most from the federal tax trough? Those blue states are good for something! Where's all that money in Wyoming going? I mean, besides to keep Dick Cheney's lawn a radiant green.
Anyway - on the upside, I will likely be eating bison for dinner tomorrow. That's right, that's the upside.