In just under one hour I will check my baggage at the Albany airport, present a one-way ticket to the TSA, sedate Stella, and fly to San Francisco, my new home. That’s right, after spending the the first three decades of my life in New England, I’m about to begin my fourth as a West Coaster.
Back in October, Lex moved to San Francisco to take her dream job as the Executive Director of SOMArts Cultural Center. Since then we’ve been holding down a long-distance relationship, taking turns flying across the country to see each other. It sucked, especially after April, when we got engaged.
The museum is being incredibly gracious and I’ll be staying on as the design director, working remotely with the staff and flying back for installations and other high-stress events. I am excited to keep up my relationship with what I think is one of the best (and coolest) museum’s in the country.
So, to continue a tradition I’ve had every time I’ve moved (5 times in the last 5 years!), I present you with my miss/wont-miss list:
Things I’ll miss about North Adams: drinking beers at The Mohawk after our live events; the spinach wrap, the lunch bagel, and the “Brew Ha Ha Salad” at Brew Ha Ha; the Planet Fitness lunk alarm; the sight of Mount Greylock when I return to North Adams after a trip; hiking and snow showing in the Berkshires; fall foliage; have dinners with my great friends; trivia night at the PNA; karaoke at Cafe Latino; being in reasonable driving distance to my family and friends in Hartford and my friends in Brooklyn; living an apartment that is five times the size and two-thirds the cost of the studio apartment we’ll have in San Francisco; going to shows in Northampton; the day-to-day interactions with the staff and resident artists at MoCA.
Things I won’t miss about North Adams: being in a long-distance relationship; the winter—it’s nice at first, but it never ends and I felt trapped; being in a long-distance relationship; my weird and slightly overbearing landlord; being in a long-distance relationship; the lunks at Planet Fitness (who flaunt the everpresent lunk alarm); being in a long-distance relationship; the lack of good, affordable cuisine; being in a long-distance relationship; the lack of veggie burgers at Big Y; and did I mention how much it sucks being in a long-distance relationship?
Stay classy, North Adams.
