The poem reminds me of coming back to Syracuse and being relieved and happy that I'm back. I'm from Massachusetts, so the drive is like five hours.

Although Massachusetts is home to me, I definitely feel at home in Syracuse, too. I mean, it's where I spend most of my time, and it's where my friends are.
Originally I was going to paint something with the highway, but the poem already tells you that you're driving. And that's not as appealing as what you're thinking about as you arrive.

When I think of life in Syracuse, I picture Armory Square. Going there with my friends, and just enjoying the downtown, is a large part of what we like to do. So that's what the painting was based on.