Boston You're My Home

This weekend I took some much needed time in my hometown in Massachusetts. It was much needed for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I had two weeks of laundry piled up that had to get done. I know it might seem a bit ridiculous to drive 1.5 hours to go to mom and dad's to do laundry, but I would have to drive anyway, since there is no laundromat in downtown Hartford, so I might as well make the trip home and do it for free, right? I also got some good meals out of it and a taste of high speed internet and HD cable television (with all the movie channels!). Now, I didn't have extensive cable television while I was growing up, we didn't have Internet access in my home until I was in the 6th grade, and I didn't get a cell phone until (if I recall correctly) my Sophomore year of High School, but once you have these things, it's hard to go without. I know it sounds spoiled, and maybe it is, but I'm finding it extremely difficult having the slowest available internet (because it was the cheapest) and access to only two or three channels with my antenna and digital converter (because there is no monthly fee). I have a lot of friends and co-workers who seem to do fine living as minimalists without cable or Internet access, but I'm beginning to think I might not be cut out for such a lifestyle. Yeah, I can pop in a DVD or read a book, but it makes me feel so secluded not being connected. I think part of the problem is that I'm living alone. If I had a roommate there would, at the very least, be another body around, there would be company available. I'm happy with where I am and I'm happy I made the choice to live in a studio downtown and give urban living a shot. I just have some kinks to work out along the way.

When I was up in MA I took some time to venture into Boston (well, Cambridge) to see a show at Club Oberon, a new nightclub opened by the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard. I saw The Donkey Show, which is essentially a disco-fied version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Audience members either stood (and danced) on the dance floor, where bartenders were available throughout the entire show, or had table seating. I was refreshed by the enthusiasm in the venue and the diverse crowd in attendance. Patrons were young, old, male, female, straight, gay, black, white, etc. and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Yeah, Club Oberon is in Boston, where the population is young, old, black white, male, female etc etc etc and there are a number of large universities and colleges in the area, but I have to admit, the staff at A.R.T took a leap of faith with this production. As far as I know, A.R.T has a reputation in the regional theatre world and this was definitely not a traditional piece of theatre. The plan is to keep Club Oberon in place and produce programming to fit the nightclub venue, essentially paving the path for a new generation of theatergoers while (hopefully) retaining the long-time loyal subscribers, donors, board members, and patrons. All I know is I had a good time and I feel that I got some artistic nourishment. I'll definitely be back to Club Oberon for more.

Life is Like A Wheel

My grandfather has always told me that life is like a wheel; it goes around and around. Sometimes you are up, sometimes you're down, and more often than not, you're somewhere in the middle. This theory really can be applied to any aspect of life: professional, social, financial, love, etc. I have found that lately, my wheel has been going around quite fast. Some days I find myself up, some days down, and often somewhere in between.

When I first moved downtown, I was quite optimistic about the state of the city of Hartford and where it might be heading. I knew it would be a struggle as downtown lacks many necessary amenities such as a grocery store and a laundromat, but I stayed optimistic. I made the move downtown because I had just graduated, I got a full-time job downtown, and I needed a change of atmosphere after spending 4 years in the suburbs of West Hartford. I have been mostly happy with my move downtown. My building is fantastically diverse and I have an unbeatable 5-minute walk commute to my office. Unfortunately, pessimism kicked in for a while and I wasn't feeling so great about Hartford. Last weekend I drove to West Hartford to do my laundry and had an overwhelming urge to move back to my old neighborhood. I could pay far less in monthly rent (for a larger apartment) and I would be surrounded by far more people and much more industry. But where's the fun in that? In Downtown hartford, I have a chance to make some change, to be a part of a movement, regardless of how far it goes. Tonight I attended the first meeting of what will evolve into a downtown Hartford Resident Association. It's relieving to be a part of the community in downtown.

I think I just have some cabin fever. I'm ready for Spring and Summer and time outside (at Bushnell Park across the street)!

Routine is....Restricting

WARNING: This post is a bit self-indulgent! Hey, I did say this is a blog about the woes of being a young professional living in a city, didn't I?

I've always been a person who lives by a routine. I grew up with a lot of anxiety and I never really took part in outrageous activities. I was always told that I have "an old soul." Some of my college years were particularly stressful as there often is no routine in college. Some days I didn't have class until 1pm and other times I had to be up for 8am. Throw part-time jobs and internships into the mix and there really was no cohesive structure to my weeks, and it stressed me out! When I graduated in December, I wasn't sure how I would react to my new professional life. I was excited to have my 9-6 job but I knew that I would be bored with my nights and weekends. So I decided to start this blog to occupy my time and I have become pretty active in downtown Hartford revitalization by assisting Common Ground in their grocery store efforts, becoming active with the Tenant Association in my building, and joining a number of other Hartford activists in efforts to revive the city. I also joined the downtown YMCA and have become active with SpringBoard, the young professionals group at Hartford Stage, and am hoping to get involved with HYPE (Hartford's Young Professionals and Entrepeneaurs).

Ok so that all sounds like a lot but, on a day-to-day basis I am finding routine to be...restrictive. Especially since I am living downtown, a 5 minute walk from work, I feel confined to the same 5 blocks at all times (even my gym is within the same radius). My thought is that this is part of adulthood in general; even if I was living outside of downtown, I would still drive the same route to and from work every day. I also think that maybe there just isn't enough to do in my neighborhood, or maybe I don't have the money to do the things I want...living on a budget/being cheap seriously limits my social calendar. Also, when I first moved down here I had a boyfriend. Companionship certainly makes transitions easier, and it gave me something to look forward to after work. Now, living in a small studio apartment with no cable and extremely slow internet, I'm trying to find ways to entertain myself at night and ways to stay social. Thank god for netflix and my dog, right?