The Pitts

Here is a life update for all who care. I had lived in Houston for two years (having moved there from Austin for a teaching job). I worked at a school teaching Kindergarten (LOVED IT!) shared an apartment with my roommate, who was also a teacher, in an up and coming neighborhood of central Houston (i.e. once dangerously "urban" now being infiltrated with coffee shops and hipsters...fine enough for the young professional crowd) and was down the street from my boyfriend and several of our good friends. Well just as life would have it, boyfriend got a job offer that required relocation, boyfriend wanted me with him there so I became fiancee, quit job, left family and friends and comfort of Texas and headed Northeast to Pittsburgh, PA. Now, 3 months later...Thoughts about my recent move to Pittsburgh:

1. Having a job es no bueno.
Yep. I might have fantasized years ago about what all I would do if I were given a year off from work. Well folks, it is one things to fantasize about something and quite another to realize this so-called fantasy (and not by choice, I might add). For one, I think that in my fantasy year-off-of-work I also had a disposable income to do with what I wanted. That made for a great year full of classes, gym memberships, shopping, arts and crafts, home projects, books, movies and traveling, etc. Now that my joblessness is a reality, I've been rudely awaken to the fact that without a job that brings in money (again, not by choice!) none of these fun things is possible. So that leaves me with doing things like:

1. Creating a blog.
2. Cleaning the house
3. Walking around the neighborhood
4. Coming up with another idea for a blog
5. Surfing the web for things to write about in a blog
6. Surfing the web for benefits of having a blog
7. Blogging about surfing the web to find benefits of a blog
8. Surfing the web for signs of web addiction
9. Walking around the neighborhood (counter clockwise this time)
10. Baking
11. Realizing that I am not a good baker
12. Breathing
13. Yoga (self led)
14. Imagining what I would be doing with all this time if I had money.
15. Looking for jobs.

2. People in Pittsburgh Can't Drive
Apologies for anyone from Pittsburgh who can drive. Maybe I just have yet to encounter you on the road. As for all the other drivers of Pittsburgh, I have no idea how they were taught to drive and why there are not more accidents. Pittsburgers will literally stop in the middle of a road, with only one lane in each direction, while traffic is moving at full speed, because they see someone (on the opposite side than them) trying to turn onto the road. Traffic behind said driver comes to screeching hault, with no other lanes to go around them in, and meanwhile traffic on the opposing lane continues, thus preventing the wanting-to-turn driver from being able to complete turn onto road. Traffic continues to build behind person who has chosen to come to screeching hault in the middle of a road (with no traffic light or sign present) and soon the opposite lane sees that line of traffic building and building and soon someone from their side decides it is best to come to a screeching hault as well. Of course, driver-wanting-to-turn is confused because they are supposed to just wait until cars of cleared to turn onto the road but now everyone is stopping so they cautiously (and slowly) make their way onto the road to turn. What? I couldn't believe it the first time I saw it, and now I am dumbfounded each day by it. I seriously do not understand.
I've also seen someone try to run through a yellow light, only to decide at the last minute that they should go ahead and stop. Right UNDER the light that just turned red. Yes, I mean in the middle of the intersection so no one else can move. But this driver will not move from said spot (directly under the red light) until it turns green. Naturally.

3. Snow
It gets cold here early and snows (I am told). That says it all.

4. Friends and Family are Fun
It is hard making new friends in a new city. It is even more difficult when you cannot get a job anywhere! I will rant about this forever but seriously...I have a Masters degree and plenty of experience, not only in teaching but in other careers I held prior to that degree. I am a fully capable human being and yet I've been turned down for 100s (yes...100s) of jobs I've applied to. And they range from teacher, to sales person, to coffee shop Barista. WTF.
Anyhow, a happy person does not a lonely city make. My friends and family back home talk about how much they miss us, but really, they don't know the extent of the word "miss". I truly miss companionship, camaraderie, shared interests, talking to human beings. Sure I have my fiance here but while he is at work all day I am left alone and without a purpose. (see number 1 for activities of a friendless girl).

5. Planning a Wedding from Pittsburgh...
...is not that fun. I miss out on all the good stuff like the tastings, the designs, the meeting of the actual people, etc. Since we are wedding in Texas, but living here for the time being, it makes things a little more difficult. And not as much fun.

Well now that I've left you all feeling in the greatest of spirits, here is something to cheer you (and me) up! Life is only what you make of it!