5 Things I love about City Life (so far)

In no particular order:

1.  The WALKING.  Okay, so I might come to regret this once we get freezing temperatures, but I average 2 miles per day of walking every workday.  I still wake up in the morning with significant stiffness and pain, and the first couple of weeks were really tough (also because it was 90 degrees), but getting that much exercise in before even stepping foot in a gym is great.  And now that the temperature has finally gone down, it's actually tolerable. Once Kenny leaves, I'll join a gym, but I don't feel too bad about waiting so long because I'm in pretty decent shape (now if I could just stop eating ...).

2.  The FRUIT STANDS.  Fresh food is tougher to come by on the East Coast and spoils more quickly, but almost every day now I pick up a huge bowl of fresh fruit and a banana from a stand for $3.50, comparable to what it would cost at a grocery store (I probably come out a little ahead actually).  It's fantastic, I wish I had a fruit stand follow me everywhere.  Unfortunately, the fruit stands will disappear during the winter, but I have a few alternatives that are close to my house and the courthouse.

3. It's easier for KENNY.  In many ways, it's tough on Kenny and on me dealing with his barking and trying to keep him out of the street, but when it comes to his need to "mark his territory," it's fantastic, and he gets so much stimulation when he goes on walks that he's easier to deal with when we're in the house.

4. The RESTAURANTS and HAPPY HOURS.  Oh. my. goodness.  It is so much fun to be in your late 20s here, there's plenty to do and plenty of people to hang out with. I've found that I'm much busier here meeting up with friends and going out with my co-clerks during the week and I will definitely miss this when it's over.

5. The CONVENIENCE.  Want to go to the grocery store?  Several stores are a 10 minute walk away, or less.  Want to go shopping?  You're a 20-minute walk away from Banana Republic, etc.  The density makes everything easy to access, and the public transit is nice when you're crunched for time.  It's easy to catch Amtrak to New York or DC, and taxis are in abundance.  After living in Alabama and the only Gap in the region being 40 minutes away (to say nothing of the lack of a Macys or Nordstrom), the fact that there are several Gap stores that are about a 20 minute walk away, even if I hardly ever go, is nice.  Not having to buy gas or leave a carbon footprint ever is also not a bad thing.