Being an engineer from small-town Texas, I love how my accent and the place I grew up make me a "Hayseed" to some. This man has a petroleum engineering degree, but I'm sure the journalism degree this writer may or may not have, since I can't find info on her, was hard too.
15 years ago, very good friends of ours moved to Oklahoma..in the panhandle. I can't remember the town, He 'd been transferred for his job..He was there for 5 years, and is now back in the NY area.. His wife was the penultimate NY'er..born and bred..so it was a bit of a culture shock.. I remeber talking to them on the phone month or so after they'd moved..My wife asked them how they lolike it., what they did for amusement, etc. His wife replied...We go upstairs to our bedroom, open the window, lean out, and look at the lights of Chicago