Round II

It has occurred to me that this is the first time ever in my life that I am living in the exact same place doing the exact same thing as the year before. You might think that as a child I did that...same house, yes, but always a different grade (your job as a kid). It was nice to not have to pack up and move at the end of last school year, but at the same time, it's eerie to not have a transition on the horizon. I've never been a huge fan of change, but you get used to it, no matter how large or small the change is. Realizing that that change was not here for me this year made me realize that maybe I am have become accustomed to the changes and yearly life transitions.

With year two of city life upon me, I'm starting to reflect upon my loves and not-so-loves about this city. Here's the start of a list:

Loves:

- so many exciting things going on here...many beginning with the word "National", as in THE one of that thing for the country...for instance the NATIONAL Book Festival this weekend...people come from all around for that and I just had to hop the metro

- coming out of the metro and hearing some classical piece, jazz, etc played by a random assortment of instruments...fave so far...small folk group playing Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"

- being in a place where people WANT to come visit

- learning everyday about this place...gradually expanding my knowledge of this or that...there is something so satisfying about getting to know a city

- holly bushes, magnolia trees EVERYWHERE

- brunch

- happy hour

Not-so-loves:

- grocery shopping/any errands being an ordeal without a car. Yes, the metro/buses are easy to use, but planning my Sunday around getting groceries and considering how much I can carry back (or in my snazzy new pushcart) is frustrating. Contrary to being in a pretty technologically sophisticated city, I feel like I'm in the olden days where getting to the nearest Walgreens requires a 30 minute walk (uphill both ways)

- every person (exaggerates a bit) thinks they are SO important. I'm sorry, yes, this city is full of young people, but each and every one of you has the SAME desk/cubicle job, so get your feet back on the ground and don't look so pompous on the metro or on the street

- feeling like I have to have some guard up as I walk about so that I don't look vulnerable...I can't imagine how NYC would affect me.

- no yard, no balcony (this could be fixed)...no logical outside place to go that's not a roof. There's a park nearby, but it's sort of a process. So many daily decisions require a time commitment.

- no good bagel places

- no camp out all day coffee shops with free wi-fi. I miss my sweetwaters, that's all I'm saying

- CROWDS...ok this is also a quasi-love...being anonymous sometimes is nice, but fighting strollers and inept (wow, have I graduated to intolerance?) tourists stopping in the middle of the sidewalk is not fun

- just going to say it again - self-important people