Columbia

	Though the backroads and farms and forests hold me in their peaceful trance, the urban areas of South Carolina are almost as seductive. But for different reasons. Take Columbia - the city that I currently live in and where I attend the University of South Carolina. Though spread out and intermingled with industrial areas as well as low income neighborhoods, the heart of the city draws me back. I believe more than the statehouse, museums, and parks, it is my memories of my college years that have the greatest pull on me. Many nights were spent pacing the horseshoe, and many days spent sunning on it. I remember feeling the crisp Five Points air as I exited the Elbow Room after a show, all sweaty and smoky. Energy radiates from Columbia when Williams-Brice Stadium fills to the brim with Gamecock diehards, despite the worst of football seasons. Fall brings the state fair, which in turn brings people from all walks of life. Then there is Christmas time at the Vista, and gourmet food at Nonnah's. Even though Columbia is not thought of as a cultural Mecca, quality theatre abounds, from alternative Trustus to the USC productions, to the British Aquilla Company we've been so blessed to have in our city for years. And who could forget long intellectual talks at Cool Beans with my friends?
Then there is the area around the capital - the original downtown of Columbia. Colored awnings, brick walks, and old signs serve as testaments to how things used to be. A lot of it is still the same, or as close to the same as I can be sure of ever living. There resides one of the largest newsstands in the US, a 60-year old Italian Restaurant, and one of the few camera shops in the state.
	Besides the places I frequented were the places that I glimpsed every time I drove around town. The shells of warehouses that make up blocks of the city serve as a testament to former times when business was booming. There is so much character in these old buildings. It is easy to think of ways to put them to use, but even standing empty, they contain so much of the city's soul. The river too, is a place that I never spent much time at, but despite my inattention, it runs continually. Even when I go away, it is there, flowing to keep my memories in motion, as much as Mother Nature's original intent.