One good thing about 6 hour car rides - a couple can talk about a LOT of things. Ever since I moved here to the "big city" from the "west side," there have been things I disliked about it. There have also been things I grudgingly admit are better than the west side - hopefully, that will be a later journal. :)

Mostly, I miss things from my childhood that I can't experience here - country roads, driving without streetlights that feel more like a hospital corridor... a more relaxed, "I'll get there when I get there" kind of attitude. The local small farm where we bought pumpkins. A beach within a five-minute drive... heck, ANYTHING within a a five-minute drive. Quiet side streets. An actual downtown, with real stores... maybe even a park. Community fairs where you could still find parking - or walk to. No competition to get your child onto a sports team - you just sign up and play.

Well, we were talking about this, and Doug said something mighty reflective. The things that especially I (but he, too) complain about not having "over here" are things that we couldn't necessarily have "over there" anymore, either. We are searching for our childhoods and our comfort places in a brand new place.... and we'll never find them. We need to embrace our city and explore it for what it has, and make new traditions in this new city of ours with our new family - not try to recreate our separate families' experiences. That won't make either of us happy.

Whoa.

In other news, I am submitting my "notification of child care leave" to Human Resources, the union, and my principal tomorrow. Doug and I have divvied up the remaining paperwork that needs to be done, each having our share. Now to just get it done!