October felt almost normal.

Daniel and I in our Halloween costumes

This month I (and sometimes Daniel):

• enthusiastically attended my ballet classes
• worked, one latte at a time, through growing crowds at the coffee shop
• grieved (however briefly) over the loss of our mouse, Chantico, and bought a new mouse, Hecate.
• suffered through an art film our friends insisted we watch
• talked into the night on a front porch
• attended the Black Voices Gospel Choir Fall concert, and loved it
• ate at some good restaurants
• went to my church’s women’s small group consistently
• witnessed the Dalai Lama’s and Bruce Springsteen’s visits to downtown Charlottesville
• met people from all over the world thanks to the universal need for caffeine
• drank lots of spiced hot chocolate and cafes au lait
• walked around a pleasant historic area downtown
• got a library card
• (somewhat) successfully fixed my car’s minor lock problem
• finished decorating the living room and kitchen
• thought a lot about feminism, sexism, and Christianity
• appreciated the fall leaves
• survived Hurricane Sandy/Frankenstorm
• visited Washington DC for the first time
• wrote two poems after a long hiatus from the craft (one, two)
• attended a Halloween party
• began watching Friday Night Lights
• cemented local friendships
• fretted over our finances
• sold many items at Water Lily Thrift
• enjoyed fall
• got my first taste of what winter will be like
• read 5+ books
• dyed my hair dark brown

This month, for the first time since moving, felt normal. Many friendships are secure and openly mutual. We’re even invited to things on occasion! We spent less time exploring and more time inside, partially due to cooler weather. I grew more secure on a personal level and felt more satisfied in my free time activities (reading, writing poems, organizing, thrifting, etc.) I did feel a bit stir crazy and I’m currently brainstorming ways to fill my time. I can’t decide if I want to pursue a side job or if I should focus more on Water Lily Thrift. We’re walking a tightrope financially and spent a lot of time working out a budget and then trying to actually follow it.

I realized that what you leave behind can hit you hardest in the small ways. You want a friend to commiserate with on local events or weather annoyances. You hear of a new store opening and just wish you could helpfully tell someone about it or check it out with them. You enjoy the excitement of making new friends but miss the comfort of old friends. Your neighborhood is beautiful but you miss having a park within walking distance. You are tired of telling people what FSU stands for. You aren’t capable of giving people good directions within town. You begin to realize that the culture of your new location differs from your old home in just enough ways to make you feel like fish out of water (for instance, southern aristocratic culture is annoying).

All that being said, we really do like living here. People here are more like us in terms of background, beliefs, political leanings, and education than most citizens of Tallahassee and that’s made it easy to settle in.

See all monthly summary posts here.