The Prelude.

 Last Monday, our journey began.

Geoff and I made the 9.5 hour drive from our precious college sanctuary in Boone, NC to our new home in the north: Philadelphia, PA. Covering 565 miles and exhausting our muscles after 2 days of unloading the moving truck, we needed a week to recover, relax, and settle into our new, brighter, more expensive apartment in the cute little town of Chestnut Hill.

Cobblestone streets and old trolley tracks on Germantown Avenue.

New apartment building.

Bredenbeck's Ice Cream Parlor is a mandatory stop.

We've found ourselves swimming in a sea of isolation. Sure, there are plenty of people around our neighborhood who are pleasant enough to say "hello" as they walk by but we are lacking actual acquaintances. We have an "I Love You, Man" situation... and we need friends. I've resorted to scouring Philadelphia's Facebook page for events that will get us involved. I've even considered volunteering with UBB (United By Blue) to help clean up the Schuylkill River and around Bartram's Garden (America's oldest botanical garden) next week just so I can be amongst other human beings... Yes, it's that bad (It's 100 degrees outside! What am I thinking?!). Anyone want to come up and save us visit before I start joining knitting clubs? Or hang out at the local library for book readings?

Enter: Culture Shock.

Pennsylvania is the birthplace of freedom but not when it comes to getting your drink on. Coming from a state in which you can find beer in every other store at any time of the day, whether it be the gas station, grocery, or pharmacy, it is extremely inconvenient to drive to a designated Beer Outlet (selling only beer by the cases, thus requiring a hand truck) or Wine & Spirits store (selling wine and liquor only) by the time they close, usually around 7 pm. I have since learned that you can pick up a couple of 6-packs from a bar for a quick fix.

Brewer's Outlet along Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill.

Driving is a death trap. We have learned to avoid it as much as possible. The roads are a labyrinth of one-ways, partially hidden all-way stop signs, and sneaky intersections that somehow branch into 8 roads. Oh, and everyone goes at least 20 mph over the speed limit at all times but I have yet to spot a police officer. My assumption is that they are too concerned with violent crime to care about speeding when everyone stops at a light and/or sign every 30 feet. I'll just take the train, thank you.

Whether it be a heat-wave or just summer, it is HOT here. The fresh, cool mountain air of Boone is a distant dream to the sizzling, humid blanket hovering over these flat lands. At least we're in an area with plenty of trees?

The Future.

Orientation for the Pennsylvania College of Optometry starts in less than a month, so I am determined to enjoy what time I have left before I am buried in books for the next 4 years. I'll keep updating this blog as much as possible. Please feel free to leave comments, questions, anything!