Where to start with this one. I have loved, hated and just not cared about Indiana at different times in my life, and sometimes at the same time even. Last week I was in New York, Los Angeles, and then finally Fairmount. 

New York and LA are both really great cities. Cool places, everybody knows those places. Fairmount, isn’t quite as well known. I haven’t been back to Fairmount since the first week of January, so it’s been awhile. 

Coming back this past weekend, I’ve never felt such a love for Indiana hit me. As soon as I landed in the Indy airport at 6am on Friday morning it hit me. It was chilly out and the airport felt empty in comparison to LAX. As my mom drove me home and the sun rose, I could see the fields and country roads from the interstate. What a cool place. Felt worlds away from LA. The smell of the outdoors and freshly cut grass. Indiana put me on some kind of high this weekend, and as soon as I arrived, I had to go. Of course I made time to see family, friends, Grains and Grill, and Ivanhoe’s before I left.

This post makes it sound like I’ve never been to Indiana before, but that’s actually what it felt like when I returned. I lived in Indiana for 21 years, but i’ve never seen it as a special place until now.

Sunday morning at 6am I was back on a plane to Southern California and my Indiana escape was over. I had to leave Indiana to really appreciate it and I’m afraid if I moved back tomorrow that things wouldn’t be the same. Indiana wouldn’t have that glow. When you experience something every single day, it’s hard to not take it for granted. LA is a magical place as well, but I took Indiana like a drug this weekend and soaked up every bit of it while I could. 

Indiana folks, book me for a job and I’ll be on the next flight to Indy. For those of you that haven’t experienced Indiana, let me know and we’ll take a trip there. It’s worth it to escape the concrete kingdom of LA for awhile.

Matt Shouse

Photographer, Indiana kid