The last time I moved back to Pennsylvania, I missed a lot of things. Trying to get over a divorce, plus taking care of two kids, an elderly father and two pooping dogs kept me pretty busy.
This time around, it’s just me in a small apartment surrounded by boxes because the place I’m moving into isn’t quite ready. You might think it’s awful, but it’s quite a blessing.
I’m not cleaning, or fussing over decorations. My place looks like cramped cardboard box-land, which is great. It gives me time to read, write, look for jobs, go for walks, stop at bakeries, and spend time with family, like I did on Memorial Day.
I’m still not over the happiness of being here. I love that my cousin and I regularly walk through Beaver, where I lust over all the gorgeous homes. I love that my uncle, siblings and nephews are all a drive away.
Yes, I miss my kids very much, but they promise to visit and I’m currently distracted by this beauty and my new love, Pretzel Bread! Oh my God! More on that next blog.
And tonight, on the way home, I had to pull over and take a photo of one of the most magnificent sunsets I’ve ever witnessed. How many of them did I miss last time I was here?
Probably quite a few. But I’m drinking them in now like I never did before.
I also can’t get enough of the lush greenery that hugs the hiking trail I walk every day.
I didn’t remember it being quite so green, or beautiful. There’s a creek that runs along here that’s lovely, and I almost never see litter, which thrills me completely!
Would I see Pennsylvania this way if I’d stayed here all my life? Probably not. If I hadn’t left I wouldn’t be looking at everything with the eyes of a vacationer. I must have noticed it when I was younger, but I think older me has learned to savor it in a way my younger self never thought to.
Plus, I’m certain my years in California left me much more in touch with my artsy side than I used to let myself be. Even when winter comes blowing in, trying to cure me of my current western Pennsylvania infatuation, I think I’ll still be smitten because I know you only get so many totally gorgeous days and you have to breathe in every ounce of beauty each one has to offer.
I’ve been a seasons woman all my life. It’s what I missed most in California. And even though I know I’m staring down some hot, humid days where my hair will be mistaken for a Brillo pad, I’m also excited for the drama of thunder storms. And don’t get me started on crisp golden fall days, with hay bales, cornstalks, pumpkins and cider! I cannot wait!
So, for the time being, I am definitely not over my initial thrill of being here yet. Not by a long shot.
