It’s an interesting question. For some, probably rather odd considering that geography is often thought of as an academic study or class that you take in college. For me, I see it most everywhere that I look or am. When I drive, I see the neighborhoods and the housing characteristics of the area. In my current suburban environment, see the cluster of shopping malls, clusters of housing developments (e.g. subdivisions), and the presence (or lack thereof) of sidewalks and bike lanes. When I was on my roadtrip in the northern Great Plains a few years ago, I was enthralled by the Dakota Badlands and the amazing artwork that nature carved out. A bit south, in Nebraska, I very much enjoyed the beauty of the plains and endless “nothingness”, or vast swaths of farmland. I thought of the soils that allow corn, wheat, soybeans to grow. Decades ago, before geography became my second career and I learned about the “urban form” I would never have thought of the structure or planning of cities and towns. In my geomorphology class–which I termed “dirt and water” class because I was soooo bored with the material–I came to appreciate the many different soil types (not just “dirt”).

I remember a couple of my professors mentioning how geographers tend to see the world in a different way than others who may not have that knowledge do. I think it’s true, at least for me.

So how about you? In your travels, daily commutes, vacation travels, do you notice the subtle variation in scenery and why that is? Why are there two lanes instead of four? Do you live somewhere with unique neighborhoods, or are they mostly the same? Next time you are out and about take some time to really look at what’s around you and ponder why that is.