But, I am happy. I am more happy than I've ever been, I think, thanks to living here. We've been so busy and it's been nice to live in a place that...isn't busy. There are things we miss about Boston, but also new things that I've always wanted that I wouldn't get there. Change is good.
Things I miss about Boston:
- Great food - I didn't really think of it as a food-capital or anything, but there is some dang good food in Boston and that is something to mourn the loss of. Darwins, Indian food, good sushi, good coffee, good coffee shops (1369, oh how I miss thee), good tea, great pizza (trust me...even your crappy pizza is good compared to what they make here), great markets (International, specialty, and otherwise) and a million other great foods. I could go on and on.
- Cobblestone (never thought I would miss this deathtrap...)
- Great beer almost everywhere (who would have thought it would be so hard to come by?)
- Close friends
- Lots going on all the time
- Shopping
- Culture - at times, very missed.
Things I like about here:
- My house - I love my house. I love it.
- Nature
- Mountains
- Pets - we never could find an apartment that would take pets. They are a key ingredient.
- Yard/garden - the windowsill just didn't cut it anymore. I love working in the garden more than I ever thought I could. It is so rewarding. I feel about my garden the way I imagine some people might feel about their career. It feels like a calling.
- Time - I always felt like I was running around in Boston. Even though we've been busy, it just feels like we have time now. (The friends thing has way more to do with this than anything else...our base is just much smaller here, which can be very nice and, to be honest, I've tried to maintain that aspect of our time here to some degree. I think of it as Our Hermitage.)
- Gabes! - Best store ever invented. Seriously, I could start a blog based on my Gabes Finds.
- Monte Cristo - one thing I can say about the food here is that they know how to make a mean Monte Cristo sandwich. "Turkey, ham, cheese double-decker, you say? And you'd like all of that battered and deep fried? Coming right up!" S&S, eat your heart out!
Things I don't particularly like about it here:
- Bad drivers - yes, I think they're worse than Boston. Everyone talks on their cellphones and make really stupid mistakes. They all drive huge trucks, too.
- Bad food - what is the obsession with chicken wings around here? Seriously, it's a problem.
- Frats
- Walking - almost impossible here due to lack of sidewalk. Also, when there are sidewalks, I'm pretty sure they're made of a 1:1 mixture of vomit and broken beer bottles (see previous bulletpoint).
- Lack of literary discussion - it's probably out there somewhere, I just can't find it.
- College sports
- no public hang outs - we share a car, which means always waiting around for the other person. There isn't anywhere we can just plop down and wait outside without buying something.
- the homeless are more scary here
All in all, it's been a great year. Thanks, West Virginia.
