Tomorrow marks 3 weeks since I've moved from Blacksburg, VA to the Boston area. Before the move, I sat down & made a list of the pros/cons of each area. No sense in moving on if its not going to make you happy. A little snippet: | Blacksburg Positives: |
| Peaceful* minus shootings/guns |
| No traffic |
| Great Bike Riding |
| Youthful feel |
| Natural Scenery/beautiful with college town life |
| Cost of Living is inexpensive |
| 4 hour drive to families |
| laid back |
| garden |
| ability to save money & travel due to cost of living |
| walk to downtown in safety/stumble home |
| friends here |
simplicity of life/ easy routine
| Boston Positives: | | The Phillipi | | Cultural center | | food options | | public transportation | | progressive politics | | Major sports venue | | Wandering ability | | Entertainment options/music | | Abundance of townships | | Bike exploring | | Bike riding easier/flatter | | Better economy/more stable due to city | | More educational options | | More job options | | Closeness to major airport | | Diverse Culture/people | | Water/ocean beauty | | Cultural identity | | Christmas | | Tons o bike shops | | Novelty of new accents | | Ice Hockey | | Bike commuting | |
| Blacksburg Negatives: |
| Rednecks/Jesus lovers/dumbasses |
| Conservative politics |
| Limited career opportunities |
| "island effect" of Blacksburg |
| Distance to major metro area |
| Limited ethnic food options |
| transient college population |
| repetitive entertainment |
| lack of diverse culture |
| Good Ol' Boy culture |
Love of guns to the extreme
| Boston Negatives: | | Sensory overload - sounds, smells | | Cost of living | | traffic | | crime | | bike riding stop & go | | winter / short days | | faster pace lifestyle | | population density | | Distance from WV/Travel | | Distance from families | Commuting to work
| |
20 days into the transition & I've
logged close to 300 miles on the pedal bike already. I figured the riding would be difficult at best do to some super aggressive drivers, but my preconceptions are totally unwarranted. So far everyone has been very polite, courteous, and even very helpful. It seems having thousands of people on bikes makes drivers used to seeing & dealing with cyclists. Of course we'll see what happens when spring comes and the warm weather lowers the car windows of hatred. Just like the first robin of spring, as a cyclist you anticipate the first "get off the road faggot" yell, as lowered windows compels drivers to share their opinions with all who will listen.
Until then I will continue to enjoy Global Warming & the upper 40 degree weather of the Northeast. See you on the bike path, it's WICKED AWESOME !
