wicked_little_critta

Not all psych wards/mental hospitals are created equal, keep in mind. I was forced into a three week stay at one when I was 16, and...I kind of loved it. It was like college for the mentally ill. I made friends with most of my peers, and kept in contact with them years later.

I think a lot of the "fear" might come from the stigma of being in a mental ward. It isn't the 1920's anymore. (Or feeling like you're less "crazy" than those around you...there were a few really off the wall people there, but most were as "normal" as me, just dealing with a lot of shit.)

My family took a month long road trip across the United States when I was younger, and there's like half an hour of video footage on our "Memories" DVD of us complaining about how much we hate Kansas. We literally cheered when we entered Colorado. Preach.

Did you pass through upstate New York, or just hit the city? The Adirondacks might pale next to the Rockies, but there's a lot of natural beauty and charm up here if you know where to look.