Back home
We headed east this past weekend to attend our friend CLo's wedding -- few people alive could have made the white dress/hiking boots ensemble look so good -- and see the in-laws. The trip triggered, yet again, another round of the eternal debate: Do we really want to spend the rest of our lives an entire country (and a veeeery long cross-country flight) away from all the people we love most in the world?At some point, we have to decide. The pro/con list changes daily. Portland is beautiful and funky and accepting and, above all else, so danged easy. TheBoy has such good friends, we both like our jobs, we can actually afford to pay the mortgage.
Why would we ever think of leaving? When we landed at Newark Thursday night, the humidity was hovering around 80 percent. It was like being in an outer ring of hell. (Some might say Newark qualifiies.) On our way back to the airport, it took 20 minutes to go the four blocks from the West Side Highway to the Holland Tunnel -- and we considered ourselves kind of lucky. Plus, I like seeing my kids every night. I don't want to have to make the choice between tucking them in and living in 900 square feet.
And yet, how could we ever think of staying here long-term? The 'rents are only going to get older. The nieces and nephews, both surrogate and real, are going to grow up. How can we miss all that?
Sigh. I have no good answers, and probably won't even after TheGirl gets back on West Coast time.
posted by AnnaRay at 4:33 PM
8 Comments:
We miss you so much, but it's so very clear that you guys are so perfectly happy in Portland that I can't really bring myself to wish you back here.
Perhaps more video conferencing is the answer?
You're crazy. I myself possess that selfish gene of Pigs and wish them back here all the time. Just when we started to really get along, they go and move. That sucks! I miss being able to hold Ruthie and playing with "Theboy" and spending holidays like Passover and Thanksgiving together.
Convince the whole mishpuchah to uproot and manifest some destiny. There is supposed to be good fishing in Oregon.
Who are you to say that we should move V. That might be good for Peter, but I have roots here in Philly. Judy has always been the one to go off and leaves town. I've stayed close. This is on her. She needs to move back.
Good point. I am only thinking about fishing and microbreweries. Philly has a lot to recommend it too. It seems more relaxed than NY, and it has awesome cultural stuff.
When we first came out here, there were several places I could have seen us moving back to: D.C., Philly, Boston, New York. That list has shrunk dramatically since then. There's simply too much turmoil in the Philly newspaper market (plus, if I'm leaving Portland, it's for a better paper. Washington is too hot for Judybat's health. Boston is too ... Boston.
So if we ever leave, it will be for New York or parts thereabout.
If you ever want an expence of feeling like a complete tree-toad, go to the precious, precious town of Wellesley. Lots of what I call "muscle sticks" there. Great girls. Lots of chapstick and blonde ponytails. Lots of lacrosse and Volvo driving. In pink and green pants with driving mocs. At least in NY you get to be eccentric and clumsy. NY is a little easier on the psyche if not the pocketbook.
New York works, and I agree with you about the Philly paper. We do not subscribe to it. We only read the New York Times here. I wish it weren't that way, because there are some really nice cute little house near us for sale.
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