As I'm sure you all noticed, when we first moved to Pittsburgh things were...not great. They weren't actively bad, per se, but they weren't totally awesome either. Part of it was my attitude and part of it was that Pittsburgh is very very different from both Chicago and Austin, the only two acceptable (to me) places to live in the whole world.
The thing about Pittsburgh is that it's small, and yet very confusing to get around. To this day I'm not entirely sure which direction is north, and I still get mixed up and call the CMU/Pitt campus area "downtown" even though it's a few miles from true downtown. But with some persistence and a lot of very long walks, runs, and bike rides, I'm slowly starting to recognize which streets go where and how everything fits together. I can make it somewhere without getting lost, and just the other day I was giving D directions on how to get from the library to Target. Me! Giving directions!
I also started working, which has helped me structure my time a little better and more efficiently. I still run or make it to yoga almost every day, and I get a full day's work in on top of that. After five weeks off, being gainfully employed again is kind of nice. We're slowly settling into a routine, which is good even if it does involve getting up by myself while D sleeps a bit longer, or going to sleep by myself while he finishes a problem set. We manage to eat dinner together most nights and still have fun on the weekends.
I've made a few new friends and look forward to meeting more people as I explore classes, clubs, and other opportunities. I'm back in the swing of being very proactive and friendly, which was not something I did much of during my last year in Chicago. The people here are friendly, and, for the most part, welcoming to newcomers. Fall is coming and with it visits from family, friends, and a fun upcoming holiday season. I'm excited to see what else Pittsburgh has in store for me.
