Tales of a coffee-holic: Hit the road

Many of the Americans I encounter seem to think they know a lot about geography. Most of them are wrong.

When I lived in Denver and told anyone there that I was from Indiana, they would ask if I grew up in South Bend or Indianapolis. I had to reply, no, that I grew up about two hours from Indianapolis and five from South Bend. These people would often regale me of stories about relatives that lived in Indianapolis, like I somehow knew them or of the trip they took to South Bend.

I really don’t understand this practice. I have never even been to South Bend. I know close to nothing about...