I'm in Pittsburgh now. But, I refuse to change my car registration to become a resident of Pennsylvania. I'm still holding onto being a Mass-Hole-achusettsian and that includes the way I drive, the way I judge people based on the way they dress and their educational level, and the way I talk. I am remembering what a Yankee Snob I am and I'm not quite sure I hate it. Although, it's hard to find my identity in being a Yankee snob and in Christ at the same time. I should probably work on that.
In so many ways I find myself completely comfortable and at home here and I feel as if I shouldn't. Feeling at home away from the ocean seems wrong on so many levels...and not just in a place where the closest beach is six hours away, but Pittsburgh of all places. This area of the country holds its own beauty: the way the mist fills the valley in the morning and the sun shines in long tendrils through the haze before the vapor is burned up in the warmth; the acres upon acres of serene farm land located just 20 minutes outside of the city; the way the skyline looms up in the windshield when I crest the hill where my house is located. However, because of how much I struggled with living in Waynesburg my freshman year of college (and sophomore and half of junior year) and how adamant I've always been about never moving and living in Pittsburgh, it's strange for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm enjoying life in this city. It's strange for me to not have to use my GPS everywhere I go anymore and to feel a general sense of ease.
I'm planning a trip home for Labor Day weekend and as excited as I am to be able to see my family and friends (and the ocean!) I also find myself realizing that I'm not as desperate to go home as I was two weeks ago when I booked the plane tickets. Desperate really isn't the right word to use, but I was very much focused on home. It is always good to come home, but the more that I travel away and return, the easier the process becomes of saying hello and goodbye. We'll see if I still feel that way in two weeks.
So, we will see what this chapter of my life brings to me...the possibilities are endless...
