Illinois vs. Rome

Some of my dear relatives have gone across the pond for the holiday, to Rome and Paris. There was a brief scare when it seemed that, due to the snow on the Eastern Seaboard, they may not make their flight. When that happened, I have to admit I had a twinge of envy toward my cousin who was perhaps going to spend a few days in Rome by herself awaiting the arrival of her family. Rome? By yourself for a few days? That sounds fabulous. I bet if I were there alone I could entertain myself on gelateries, coffee shops, wine bars, and restaurants alone, not to mention churches, museums, and art.

But, thankfully, they made it which has inspired me to create my own "mini-Rome" at the new wine and coffee bar that has opened near my grandparents' house. Really my hometown probably can not support a place like this, that sells exotic Argentinian malbecs and non-pasteurized goat cheese. There is probably more of a demand for John Deer products than these sorts of frivolous things in this Illinois town. So I find myself catching up on my blog over a glass of cabernet sauvignon and a cheese plate on this winter day, proving that vacation is a state of mind - for me, a state of mind that involves good wine, coffee, and great food - not necessarily a place.

So, for what it is worth here are my top 5 reasons why Illinois can be better than Rome:

1) My glass of wine and cheese plate cost less than $12 (no euros needed) and is served in heaping Midwestern portions that made me say "That's the half cheese plate?"
2) I can listen to top 40 American pop without any shame. In Rome, I would feel a need to appreciate finer music than Beyonce and Chris Brown.
3) There are no aggressive Italian gentlemen with mullets for me to push away.
4) I get to stay up-to-date on the Tiger Woods saga. Rest assured the American media is on top of this, as well as the Gosselins' divorce, the potential new tax on tanning, and other critical, life-altering news stories.
5) My grandma's cooking. I don't care how delicious the pasta or pizza is, Grandma's cooking trumps all.