Rut?

(stuck) in a rut

Fig. kept in an established way of living or working that never changes. David felt like he was stuck in a rut, so he went back to school. Anne was tired of being in a rut, so she moved to Los Angeles.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

  One of the perks of my job is being able to have a change of scenery every other week. Business trips are seen as glamorous by most. Sometimes they are; sometimes they're not. Often times I find myself in a cool location but working and viewing the city from my hotel room--that part not so glamorous. Meeting new people, experiencing the culture of a state (particularly those past the Mason Dixon), and eating at local establishments is the fun, glamorous part.

  While the coordinates on the grid change there is one thing that remains the same, no matter the duration of the trip: I find myself grappling with familiarity in a brand new place. For example, there is a restaurant in Toledo that I love, and while I'm sure there are lots of great eateries in the city, I ate both lunch and dinner at this restaurant in the same day. Why? Because i really like the food and I can't get it back home. I often wonder if this means I'm getting stuck in a rut when I visit a city for a day or two. Is that even possible, by definition, if I'm only there for two days.

   I write this seemingly pointless yet observational post because I found myself already doing it today. I'm in Columbia for the very first time and will be here until Friday evening. My hotel doesn't offer breakfast so I googled coffee shops near me and found two local spots near the hotel and the station. I made the decision to try one this morning and the remaining one tomorrow morning, but my breakfast was good and the coffee even better. I decided right then and there that I didn't even need to try the other spot because it couldn't possibly be more quaint than Immaculate Consumption, and there's just no way they can make better hand-crafted lattes. 

   I guess I'm getting stuck in a rut all over again....but at least there'll be good coffee. :)

Night y'all!