Another update. So this is the map I’m working on now:
My the inspiration came form the all the things I’ve heard about Laramie, specifically “did you know that Laramie has the most bars per capita out of any city in the United States?” I don’t even know if that’s true, but I’ve heard it several times since I’ve been here. What I think that is more surprising is the number of beauty salons in Laramie. In this tiny town that we all like to make fun of, there are actually more beauty salons than there are bars.
What does this say about our conception of Wyoming and the west? From a marketing perspective, Wyoming pours its heart into making everyone think about the rugged cowboy, but in Laramie we seem to just want to have people who get acrylic nails and their hair dyed every three weeks. Laramie is a special city in Wyoming. As the home to the states only major university, it has this special vibrant, youthful population that is always rotating.
Like many of the other mappers in my class, I will be discussing how Laramie subverts our expectations.
….
And that’s where I get lost.
*I’ve been posting way too much recently. You must think I don’t even go to school anymore.
Perhaps from here you could say what our expectations are… you’ve mentioned several times how Laramie Subverts them, but I don’t hear you tell me what they are. Perhaps that would give you some direction.
I have decided to do a genre study on maps and cultural mapping. However, it doesn’t make want to do it more.
My expectations for Laramie were a beer-drinking, truck-driving, outdoorsy kind of place. It’s been kinda subverted….
PS. I read this comment INSTANTLY after you posted, but I waited a bit so as not to freak you out.