greetings from upstate!
we packed up and moved out of our sweet, little Astoria apartment last thursday and trekked (and trucked) up to poughkeepsie
we are just settling in and still unpacking. our boxes still dominate space in the hallway and dinning room.
nia is loving all the space to roam around and explore.
amidst the anxiety of leaving NYC we are pretty excited about all of the fun adventures within our reach here in suburbia. on a daily basis i find myself making a pro's + con's list of living outside the city. here are some of my picks over the past few days...
PROS
grocery shopping
with a shopping cart is amazingly simple + easy. and then to only have to go as far as your car. I felt almost lazy. when we got home to unload the groceries, it was raining, yet we didn't even care because we pulled into the garage and stayed dry.
laundry
quarter-free. i mean, technically we've already saved over $20. letting the clothes sit in the washer or dryer for 2 minutes or 2 hours after they are done makes no difference. be still my heart, they will still be there whenever I get to them.
access to grass
playing outside with nia is no longer a mini-expedition. no more stroller. no more needing to bring in-case-of-emergency snack, bottle + roosevelt. no more diaper bag. nothing is needed to go out the back door to get to the grass and play in the yard. maybe just the camera + sunglasses. we can go outside as many times a day as she wants rather than making the special 30 minutes journey to the park.
neighbors
they are what feels like a million miles away. should the residents along Clover Hill be rapping along with Biggie Smalls or fighting over take-out orders; we can't hear it. smoking pot; we can't smell it seeping through our walls. stumbling home at 4AM; we're blissfully unaware. ignoring their barking dog; we don't know it. it's been beyond blissfully quiet.
CONS
going out for a drink
last night I went out for a drink with a few girlfriends. the bar was jam-packed with local college students. the bar was right smack in the middle of a strip mall, along side a subway sandwich shop and one of the 3 local strip clubs. week 2 challenge: determined to find a nice wine bar. (I should mention we were all pretty appalled with the atmosphere and left our beers in favor of 10PM milkshakes at the diner)
magazines
I have yet to find someone who is equally excited about the March issue of Vanity Fair. I mean, come on, it's the Hollywood issue!
starbucks
although I don't go on a daily basis, the nearest one is an 8 minute drive away verse the former 2 blocks.
heat
it's currently about 7 degrees colder upstate than in Astoria. and the heat isn't included in the mortgage.
tonight S + I are going out. we're thinking the movies. I'm anticipating movie-going to be on the PROS list.
Love from suburbia,
L
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