Saturday, February 18, 2012

From Blacksburg to Boston

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 !