Thursday, July 14, 2005

Just a stop along the way.

One of my favorite things about NYC is the way people completely transform from season to season. A short two months ago, people were walking around completely bundled up.

Luckily, things change.

For the past month NYC has turned into a meat market, and I am more than okay with that. These days, people walk around the city strutting their scantily clad stuff welcoming any kind of interaction with just about anyone. Maybe it is the whole informality behind such dress that even makes people nicer, but it’s hard to say. All I know is that if I had the choice, I’d show up to work in shorts, a tank top and flip flops everyday.

I doubt that Mr. Bossman would be enthusiastic about this at all.

Two and a half years ago, I moved to NYC by accident. After a lengthy recovery from a freakish illness, I was on my way back to Hamburg when I thought that it would be cool to stay here spending the summer with grandma. Next thing I knew, I had been sucked in.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how I never intended to stay here and about how last year I promised myself that I would at the very least try to leave by the end of this year. For a while, I was working pretty diligently at it; however, I got sidetracked and it wasn’t until Mr. Destiny decided that it was time for me to do my thing again that it dawned on me that I only have 4 months left. Eek.

These past couple of days I’ve found myself at a crossroad with the recurring problem that plagues my existence: I know what I DON’T want…it’s what I want that’s the problem. Personally, I am of the belief that if you at least know what you DON’T want, you are half way there. Unfortunately, it seems very likely that this line of reasoning only makes sense in my mind.

In any case, I’ve made up a list of the kind of life I would want if I were giving the choice. So far this is it:
-I want to live in a city
-I want nice neighbors
-I want to be able to walk/ ride my bike places
-I want a flexible job with enough money and enough perks
-I want to see a change in seasons (not necessarily a drastic change but change)
-I need an international airport within 30 miles
-Parks, beaches, mountains (nature)

I know I need to work on that some more, but for now that little list is giving me direction and that in itself is more than anything I’ve ever had when the urge to leave has struck. I just hope that the day I decide to leave again, I go where I said I'd go and not stay in some stop along the way. Scenic though the route may be, I just wanna get there already!

12 comments:

Cindy St. Onge said...

Move to Portland!!
If you like San Franciso, you'll find a similar open attitude and progressive sensibility here in Portland. We have beatiful, changing seasons without the severe weather you get on the East coast.

Portland is bike friendly, with paths and parks and lots and lots of green spaces. We're an hour away from the mountains, wine country, and about an hour and a half away from our beautiful coast.

And you'd have to go to the South to find nicer people. (Not the crazy South. The Industrialized South, with running water and paved roads.)

Bracuta said...

When you find that place and that job, please share it...

Unknown said...

Hey! Good advice Cindy.

And did I mention that Cute Neighbor Boy is moving out? I'd love to replace him with Fun Neighbor Girl.

Gabemaster said...

It would have to be somewhere overseas. I've been to a good number of major cities all over the U.S. (east coast, west coast, the heartland, north and the deep south) and there is still no city like NYC.

Mona Buonanotte said...

Hmmmm...Chicago? Cincinnati? Raleigh? Quebec? Those Canadians are pretty durn nice!

Libélula said...

Man...I made that list not so long ago...I know I need that change and for some reason i'm procrastinating.

Good luck to you, sweetie!!!

Robert_M said...

That's what I said about this job...erm 3 years ago...


As Chet Baker sang 'let's get lost'

Libélula said...

***Unrelated Comment***

Annush, I read what you posted on Kiki's Blog and I searched for the Lyrics to the Stabbing Westward's Songg "What Do I Have To Do?". One word: Damn!!!

Toad734 said...

Chicago has no mountains but it has everything else. If you want a meat market check out Oak St beach in the summer.

RedheadinFrance said...

so...any new ideas for moving? What's happening in 4 months, if you don't mind my asking?

annush said...

in 4 months is New Year's Eve.

whitneydonkey said...

I am racking my brain for the perfect place, but in the USA, I don't know. Austin, Tx is so great, but no winter. Portland sounds cool to me, but I've never been there.
You need a place where the big concerts are.
I have to say that the music scene in London is pretty cool.
maybe you should stay in New York
its treatin you good!