i hate when people call it 'beantown'

After eight hours of driving with most of my possessions stuffed into a little blue Saturn and a giant yellow Penske truck, then one week of packing them all into a REALLY white second-floor apartment, I have finally settled into Boston.  There's still quite a bit of wiggling to do to really get cozy, but the part of the city that I and my other roommates have chosen to call home reminds me more and more of "downtown" Gettysburg everyday, if my undergrad town had had ten times as many bars and a Dunkin' Donuts on every corner (the only DD in Adams County mythically burned down the year before I started college).  I'm excited to be in Allston, where, from a short walk to Rite-Aid, it appears the underground music scene is still fairly substantial; it's nice to know the area is more than just a blurb in the Aerosmith Wikipedia article.  

I wanted to move to Boston to put myself out of my element; I think a little bit of discomfort in my life was starting to become necessary, as the suburban routine was turning me into too much of a sleepy-eyed, easy-going small town girl.  Granted, there are a lot of things one can pick up in a small town that some of these big city kids won't ever understand.  They'll never comprehend the strategy of ducking away from the neighbors as they pack up the family mini van in the summer (they WILL ask you to feed their cats...and they have a lot of cats), or truly realize the REAL value of a gym membership (forgive me for this, but it's the only place in town where people are trying to get into shape, and unlike those at the grocery store, most look decent in their spandex).  They've never eaten a chocolate snowball with marshmallow while watching pig races at the fair, and would be terrified to find that Independence Day fireworks are discharged (rifles, too), on residential streets, two weeks before and two weeks after the 4th (they would also have a poor view of the Fourth of July parade because they wouldn't know to put out blankets or lawn chairs on the parade route a week early to hold their seats).  They've never had the chance to be the Buddy Poppy Queen or the Dundalk Idol, or even to see a tiny cocker spaniel dressed in an Orioles cap and a star-spangled t-shirt ride a skateboard down Main Street.  Though I'm sure, at least in Allston, they'll encounter a hobo or two who tries to pat them on the back while running (a little encouragement never hurt anyone, right?)  Sure, the city kids might have lettered in track or football, but did they ever ride an ATV or a firetruck decorated in window chalk in the homecoming parade, the biggest event of the year?

I'm a little burnt out from moving and starting classes (surprise, surprise, I'm actually supposed to be writing a short paper right now--why do you think I'm back on Blogger?), so I'll just say now, that I'll miss my town and all that it's made me over the years, and one day I'll write a very ridiculous book that no one will believe about everything I've seen, but I couldn't be happier to be up north (this feeling will probably last until the first big snow hits).  

worth the $.99 on itunes: damien rice's "rootless tree" reveals some other feelings i could express towards the past.  additionally, it's great for making other drivers nervous, if you play it loud enough in your car.  if you don't mind profanity, this needs to be on your playlist.