Confessions

To be quite honest, I don't love Philly. Most days, I don't even like it. I didn't realize what a southerner I was until I moved to PA last August. Coming from Northern Virginia, you're always explaining to people that NOVA isn't the South - you know that South I'm talking about: that "Deliverance" or "Mississippi Burning" or even "Meet Joe Dirt" kind of South. And it's true, NOVA isn't like that. But it is Southern in that showing hospitality, saying hello, and blessing your heart kind of way. And silly, Southern me thought folks were polite everywhere.

But they're not. There's a coldness up north - both literal and figurative - that I struggle to understand. I miss saying "Sir" and "Ma'am" without being looked at as if I had a third eye. I miss a returned "Good mornin'" and the beauty of a perfectly drawled "y'all".

I miss VA.

I didn't want to come back here in September, but it made sense. B. was here and he had to finish school. A year. I could do a year.

That year will become at least a year and a half, and I still think I can handle it, but I'll be honest: it's been a hard winter. A long, hard winter.

I'm counting the months till June, hanging on for dear life till the end of the school year and a welcome vacation, and then counting down till December when our lease is up and we can go wherever our little hearts desire.

I don't know where we'll go or what will happen or even what I'll do between June and December. Honestly, it's kind of exciting to leave this up in the air for now. I've been praying a lot. Praying for a heart for this city, praying for direction, praying for guidance, praying that I won't stand in the way of whatever God has for us here now or in the future because of my stubborn love for the comfort of the South. I don't know what's coming, I just know that this year has been a struggle of epic proportions for me. I'm trying to feel this out and to adjust. And I've felt myself stretching, learning, and thinking, and these are good things.

No ha sido en vano, pero tampoco ha sido fácil.

Like a tumor

When I moved out to PA, I pretty much hated it. I was living out in the western suburbs of Philadelphia, the single whitest place I've ever lived, and I hated it. I hated the looks I got at the grocery store, the relative lack of any type of authentic ethnic cuisine or ingredients (beyond Italian), the cold, and the way people were so unfriendly. Oh, and have I mentioned the TERRIBLE DRIVERS? And the INABILITY TO MERGE? And the INVASION OF LANES?
But, it's where I was going to school, and I had to be there. And then I graduated, and could have gone back down South to NoVA - Northern Virginia - or DC and worked and lived where my foreignness blends in, where I could find authentic Ethiopian, Salvadoran, Pakistani, Greek, Peruvian, Indian, Afghan, etc. restaurants and/or grocery stores in a five mile radius; where the winters aren't so bad, and where our traffic sucks, but dammit, we can MERGE. (And STAY IN OUR OWN LANES!) But B. was here, and he still had to finish school, and so I came back. To Philly.
So now I'm in the city itself, way out in West Philadelphia (go ahead and sing it, because I know you want to) and I work in North Philly, and I'm starting to like it. Or if not like it, warm up to it. To be fair, I still prefer our Southern hospitality to the cool Northern way of interacting, and I still think Philly drivers are the worst, but, it's growing on me.
I don't want to think about winter, because that might have me cursing the geography again (not so much the city, just its location), but for right now, in this lovely illusion of fall, Philly is growing on me. It's filthy, the drivers suck, and the roads are a disaster, but there's something about it that I'm warming up to.
Maybe it's the fact that I can find little pieces of Puerto Rico here: the bars on porches to create a marquesina, the Puerto Rican bakery that sells quesitos, pan sobao, and pastelillos, the passion fruit popsicle that I got from a man who called it una paleta, because that's what it's called, thank you very much. Maybe it's the fact that I'm finally settling in.
I don't know.
I can't say that I love it like I love NoVA and DC, but I must admit it's growing on me. Even if folks can't drive.

Why I'm glad I learned to drive in NoVA

I had to drive in to Philly three times this week, which resulted in me spending a hecka lot of time on 476, 76, and 95. Also, I was in VA over the weekend - more time on 95.
All that to say: Philadelphians can't drive. If there's one thing we know in the DMV (that's DC, Maryland, and Virginia, for those of you who don't know), it's traffic. We, of the three hour commute (20 miles, people, 20 miles!), know how to handle traffic. We know how to keep things interesting - a little weaving in and out, a little movement. Also, we know that on the rare occasion that traffic may be moving, you must take advantage of that and MOVE. If the speed limit says 55, but things are moving, go ahead and do 65 - but stay in the slow lane. The fast lane is reserved for people who are actually moving fast - like 80 fast.

People here don't know how good they have it.... It's only a forty minute commute in rush hour! That said, if we had those conditions down in DC, it'd be a twenty minute commute. Philadelphians cannot seem to figure out how to keep things moving! You'll have two lanes of traffic, and there will be two cars, each going 65. O. M. G. People! Stop blocking me in! If you're only going ten miles over the speed limit, move it over to the slow lane.
Stinkin' Philly drivers....

;)

Phillies!

The Phillies won!
Which means two things:
1. B. really DOES turn around the fate of sports teams in cities in which he lives. ;)

2. Parade! Whoot whoot!

Parents

B. and I just had round 1 of Meeting the Parents, preceded by rounds 1 and 2 of Meeting Friends.

In a reversal of tradition, his parents were first. I was nervous because I have never had to meet parents before; I've usually dated guys whose families I already knew. Thankfully, all went well and we had a good time hanging out in the city and exploring.

A few pics:

All of us at the Japanese house and garden in Fairmount Park


He looks so hot in this pic.... B. in the bathroom at the Japanese house, obviously too tall for the stool.


Modeling my sexy paper slippers


The Magic Garden on South Street - If you're in Philly, check it out, the place is unbelievable!


B. and I reflected on the ceiling in the basement of the Magic Garden


Bonus: Butterfly at the Horticultural Center in Fairmount Park


Next weekend: Round 2 of Meeting the Parents; easier for me, more nerve wracking for B....

Muévelo

We went salsa dancing Friday night - such a good time!
B, Me, and N before the dancing begins:

B, J, and N

The crew after a night of salsa, merengue, and bachata. Good times!

Brotherly love

Just got back from Philly not too long ago. We spent a long, lovely day in the city, and I have to say, I'm liking it. We did typical touristy things: the Liberty Bell, a tour of Independence Hall, eating Philly cheese steaks and water ice.... You know, the usual.
We also did a good bit of walking, just wandering around the city. It felt good. I miss city life.....
I'm kind of struggling with NOT being in MY housing because I never heard from anyone about it, and while I feel like there's some God-ordained reason for that, I'm struggling to love Wayne. I'm thankful for my house, you know, and my roommate, but I do miss MY type stuff. I've always found so much beauty in broken sidewalks and people in close proximity....

Anyway, a couple pics for your enjoyment. Hopefully there will be more on the way...


The only picture I took when we saw the Liberty Bell. No pics of the actual thing.... Ha, ha.


Me, Joyce, Seth, Ben, Courtney, and Elise, as taken by Rachel.