11.08.2010

Since we last spoke.

Life changes so fast at times. The more you keep yourself open to new things the faster it all happens. I've yet to find a place or job that has made me feel as if I don't need to keep searching, keep exploring. And even when one of those things falls into place I'm sure I'll find a way to keep wondering and exploring, even if it is just a little at a time.
As I last wrote, we had a really great time hanging out in Virginia, so much so that we decided it was where we wanted to go next. We set a date and decided to head down with whatever money we could save up by then. The past two years have been so full of amazing things and yet so full of sadness in my life. I continue to do and see great amazing things, but friends and family continue to get sick or pass away unexpectedly... A week before our planned date to leave for Richmond, my truly amazing friend Stephen Valsechi was robbed of his time here on earth, there was so much more for him to see and do and experience. And I along with many others are now left feeling robbed as well. I will never again feel the joy I did while spending days with steve. He lived life on his own terms and never let others stand in his way of having fun. I will take that mentality and remember it forever, try to embody it and let him live a little bit through me i suppose.
So we stayed on Long Island a bit longer then planned and it was a hard long week. On Friday the 15th we got in our car and drove south. we arrived at our good friend and now housemate, Ryan O'neill's house. He through a big party that night where we mixed up Long Island Ice Teas. Ryan is also a native Long Islander... Vanessa and him went to high school together.
We spent the remainder of the month of October sleeping on an air mattress in the spare bedroom of that house, It was a hard month. That house is on its way out. It's been a punk house forever and it shows, holes in the walls and floors, a mouse is seen every now and then. The Gas had gotten turned off right when we arrived which made it impossible for us to cook or have a hot shower... We got focused and set a goal to get out of that house and into a new one by the 1st of november, to do this we had to get ourselves some jobs asap. Vanessa started right away working with Ryan at Perlys, a great restaurant thats open for breakfast and Lunch. I had a harder time finding work. I was able to start recently working at a convenience store called the broad st. market. Its a pretty crazy place to work. The pay isn't very good. But i needed to start something. I'm continuing to search for a different source of employment. And I will work at the market until something good comes along.
Outside of responsibility, life has been good to us here. We found ourselves a great house to rent. Its a large 3 bedroom house on 36th st. in Church Hill. A block in one direction from a house full of friends and 3 blocks in another direction of another house full of friends. Its so far beyond anything Vanessa and I have ever lived in. The house as a whole, coast $25.oo more dollars then the small studio we rented in San Diego. This is one of the main reasons we came here. Life is just a little easier. The weather isnt, but the rent is at least. We have a 3 mile commute everyday to work, which is a fun bicycle ride away.
Im just so happy to be back in an area where we don't need to rely on cars as necessity. And where there is a population of like minded young people all in one community. Its already getting colder, which isnt so nice to ride bicycles in. We expect the winter to be rough, more so because Vanessa and I haven't lived through an east coast winter in three years now. I know we'll survive but its still scary.
So that's my rant about what life has been over the past two months. In the coming months I plan to become a winter bicycle ninja, Cook lots of soups, hang out at home with Vanessa, Ryan and Ryans great dog, Riot, See lots of good bands play, And hopefully find a sweet job that will make me happy to ride through the cold weather/rain/and snow to get to. We have plenty of room for visitors so come on out and sleep on our couch.

No comments: