On the positive side

I realize that the last post I made about Pennsylvania was pretty negative. Yes, there are definitely some things that get on my nerves, but you can find the negative no matter where you are; especially if that is what you are seeking for. Maybe I just haven't come to grips with the fact that we are no longer in what I call the transition phase. I have entered real life. The transition phase consists of school in which your time is somewhat definite and your life is connected with a University. The transition phase isn't bad. I enjoyed the 4.5 years Bruce and I spent in Illinois while he was attending graduate school. Those are definitely some fun times. In fact, I don't think I even realized how much I did enjoy Illinois until we moved. I miss the people there most of all. The people I knew and even the people I didn't know. I didn't come across very many grumpy people in Illinois. Not that there are a lot of grumpy people here, it's just that people here seem a lot more busy, fast paced, and to themselves. In Illinois, most people took the time to get to know you or something about you.
We have lived in this townhouse for 2 months, and I still don't even know the names of our neighbors. I hear their dog barking and whining all day (on both sides of us) which indicates that people here are rarely home. I think people here work a lot - you almost have to in order to have enough money just to get by.

It seemed like I spent the last 6 months of our time in Illinois wanting to get out of there and move on. I wanted Bruce to have a job - a real job, and I wanted to stay at home. The time to move out of transition couldn't come fast enough. Now, I realize that I should have enjoyed that time and not wished it away. I do enjoy being home, but there are so many days that go by when I think I could feel a lot more productive if I were working full time. I do miss teaching. I miss the companionship and friendship of other teachers who could really understand what teaching in a public middle school is really like. I don't miss the crazy parents, the ornery students, or the politics of education. Call me crazy, but I do actually miss grading papers, planning fun lessons, and interacting with students. Maybe that's why I get excited when I get to grade the exams from Bruce's class. I miss the good parts of teaching - when they finally get it, or the positive interaction with them. I think teenagers are .... FUNNY!!

I miss coaching. Not necessarily the long days, the crummy pay, or the intense game schedule. I miss the opportunity to be in a position to be a positive role model for the girls I used to coach. I miss the influence I had on them, and I miss seeing how much my players improved over the course of the season. Those are the times that makes everything worthwhile. I actually look forward to having that kind of impact on my own children, instead of everyone else's.

The hard part now is knowing there is not necessarily an end to our time in Pennsylvania in sight. We may be here for a relatively short time, or we could be here for the rest of our lives. It's hard to know at this point. No place is necessarily permanent for anyone, but maybe I wasn't quite as ready to move out of the transition stage as I originally thought I was.

The purpose of this post was not to dwell on the past though. I wanted to reflect on what I really like about Pennsylvania. I want to reflect on the positive. First, I like that Bruce loves his job. He really couldn't be happier when it comes to the work force. The hours are great - he has plenty of time to spend with me. The benefits are nice, and the relationships he is developing with his colleagues is encouraging. It makes me extremely happy knowing that Bruce wants to go to work everyday because he enjoys it so much. That is how a job should be. (He is starting to realize that teaching isn't all the glamorous though - it's near the end of the semester so a lot of students are begging/groveling for him to change his quiz policy).

Second, I love the scenery. Illinois was pretty at times if you like corn and soybeans. Pennsylvania has a lot more topography. Even in the city where we live, there are a surprising amount of trees and winding roads. If you get out of the city into the country side, it's even better. Hills of green, trees, and wildlife. We actually have a range of wildlife we see in our backyard on a regular basis.

Third, I am so close to so many cool and historic places. New York City is only a 2 hour train ride. Philadelphia is 20 minutes away. Washington DC is a quick (sometimes not so quick) 3 hour drive. The coast is a half day drive away. There are so many things I can see and do here. I just have to keep searching for the cool "free" things to do.

Fourth, I love that I get all the grocery ads, and a handful of coupon inserts delivered right to my mail box. It gives me time to carefully search through the ads and compare prices in order to get the best deal. I don't think I have ever owned as many membership cards to grocery and drug stores as I do now. I currently have 6 membership cards, and there are still stores I don't shop at. Now that I am not working full time; I have dedicated more time to looking for sale prices and couponing.

Fifth, We make up for it in other ways, but there is no sales tax on food or clothes. That helps my food budget stretch just a little bit more. It doesn't make me feel quite as bad that I pay about $4.00/gallon of milk as long as there is no additional tax. :) I won't go into any other details about the inflated price of other things because that wouldn't be looking on the positive side.

Sixth, because I live in the city; I have access to almost every store one could possibly want. In fact, there are so many places to shop - it almost seems overwhelming. You name a store, I can probably get to one of them in less than 20 minutes. This could be another perk for those who want to come and visit. :)

I am still searching for other positive things I like about living in Pennsylvania. When I find them, I'll be sure to post. In the mean time, I'm going to keep looking for the positive. Complaining about certain situations isn't going to change them.