After 12 years living in a shoebox in Manhattan working 80-hour weeks, moving to what is comparatively the middle of nowhe re is a pretty big lifestyle change. I was totally having a "My Antonia" moment when I decided to switch jobs and move out West.
It's been about 4 weeks and I actually love it here--super clean air, amazing scenery surrounded by mountains and wilderness that looks kind of like a cross between Tuscany and the Alps, and thankfully, real culture in progressive Ashland, Oregon from indie film festivals to world-class theater and excellent restaurants.
I have three times the space I had in NYC and am paying half the price, plus I'm able to be more outdoorsy now which I love. It's so nice here that I feel like I'm on perpetual vacation, but I have noticed some odd things here though:
* Everyone says "Right On"--isn't that from the 70's?
* No one locks their doors (are they crazy???)
* An abnormally high number of Thai restaurants
* A lot of food here is "free" of something. For ex., the very excellent bread I bought at the bakery around the corner was somehow organic, wheat-free, gluten-free, eggless, AND dairy-free...when I was about 10 years old, I read a book about a yogi in India who was able to live on air for years. I told my parents I was going to do that too. Of course, I lasted about a day and have been teased about it relentlessly since then, but now I think I have finally found someplace where one of my childhood dreams could actually become reality!
* Espresso drive-thrus. I can't complain about this one.
* Everyone leaves work at 5pm. It's sick, I tell you, sick!
More soon re how I'm adjusting, but in the meantime, enjoy a few pix and pretend you're breathing in some mountain air. :) SYP