Boating People

While I was in Cape Cod, I met a lot of my friend's friends. That included her housemates, her co-workers, previous roommates, townies, etc. And they were brought together by the town of Woods Hole (or "Wo Ho" as they sometimes call it). It's this little town that's internationally known for its marine biology labs, but to those who live here, it's just a water town where everybody knows everybody. You always say hello and wave whenever you pass someone, and everyone is willing to give you the shirt off his back. Maybe that's why my friend didn't think it was strange to bunk at a friend's place without paying rent: it's normal to just squat in other people's homes. These are the type of people who don't mind if you just pop in without an invitation, or who tell you to come over for a BBQ and don't ask you to bring your own beer. Everyone is warm and welcoming, which was quite refreshing after living in a city for over a year and a half now. Rather than pretentious, "boating people" are modest, down-to-earth, and happy. One girl, Kimmy, described it perfectly: "We may be broke, but we know how to live." A lot of people here are unemployed, or are working multiple jobs to make ends meet, and they spend most of their money on alcohol and maintenance for their shitty boats. And yet they are so kind-hearted, and they spend their days relaxing on the water with the people they care about. They really have it good, even without six figure jobs and a cultured city. I am definitely a fan of boating people.