I just finished a book about a guy who, on a whim, spent a summer in Provincetown and ended up moving there to become a local. When my wife teaches her first grade about reading comprehension she introduces the concept of schema, which is a big word for background knowledge, or personal connection.  As I’d read the book, I found I had very little schema other than a view of P-Town (as the locals call it) from a distance when we went whale watching. I decided that a trip to the tip of Cape Cod was accessible and would provide definition to the images I’d conjured in my head of this fabled party town.

Janet determined she needed some Grammy time and booked a flight to KC for the first part of her spring break in April. Her flight left early on Saturday morning so I thought that would be a perfect time to make my excursion to the cape and avoid any kind of traffic. I dropped her off at the airport around 5:30 AM and was in P-Town by 7:30 AM.  P-Town on a spring morning is much different than what I’ve heard of P-Town on a summer’s night. That’s OK, I wasn’t there to party, I was there to put pictures in my mind.

Provincetown is famous for its attraction to the LGBTQ community as a summer resort area. It’s kind of like the Key West of the northeast. The main streets through town are narrow and lined with shops, restaurants, and clubs. Some of my favorite Broadway performers, like Kristen Chenoweth and Megan Hilty, have come to perform throughout the warmer months, and I’ve been tempted many times to make the journey to see one of these shows.  All this was asleep when I got there.  The few shops open were coffee shops, and I enjoyed a nice hot mocha latte at one of them. I walked the entire length of the business district and back, taking in all the details of this unique community. One important thing to note was the monument that stands in the middle of town as a memorial to the pilgrim’s first stop before moving onward to Plymouth.  I knew that there would be nothing else to see throughout the day as the season was not open yet, so I got back in my car and drove home.

My trip to P-Town was only an introduction. Sometime I’ll get back over when the party is happening. But for today, I was satisfied to build my schema.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller