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August 24, 2006
stolen cars, vandalized cars and bad neighborhoods
Most of you know that New York City has been losing it's luster for me for some time.
One could say it started happening as early as the first time I spent a summer away doing missions in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, while attending Art School in the city.
I guess it was the first time I really got a chance to see what living elsewhere was like. Don't get me wrong, I was most excited to come back to the city every time I went away for a while. What, with all the cultural diversity and places to eat representing just about every country imaginable, it's very hard to beat. But, here and there, I would experience something new and pleasant each time I was living somewhere else.
I went on to spent a summer in South Eastern Oklahoma, also doing missions.
Then I left Queens and lived in the Lower East Side, while serving my church, Graffiti and this was possibly the greatest way to fall in love with the city all over again. And while working here, is when I met Fabio, now my husband.
When I left Manhattan, I moved far away, and went to live outside Yosemite National Park, in El Portal. I was here to work with a church, and I got to be closer to Fabio, who was in the Marine Corps, in California. Talk about being away from the city!!! This was as far from a city as you could get...
Then, when my term was over, I went to live in 29 Palms, and that too, was ultimate non-city life.
I've been back in the city ever since we got engaged. That's 8 years straight, and for the most part, I enjoy it.
Everything started to change when we had our kids. Not in the usual sense, about "not wanting to raise kids in the city because it's dangerous", kinda way; but in the " I want a backyard and a bit more space" kinda way.
Some time ago we decided that we couldn't afford to buy a house in New York City. That is, not in the 5 boroughs, or in the greater New York, which includes Long Island, and Westchester. In order for it to be affordable to us we'd have to be commuting more than and hour and a half each way, and when you have small kids, missing some 13 hours of their lives means not seeing them at all, and Fabio and I just don't jive with that.
For a few years now, we've been longing to leave NYC all together, but the opportunity hasn't yet presented itself; God is still working out the kinks...so when we get to wherever, it will be perfect for us, if we listen carefully.
The thing is, now I'm wanting to move in double time, cause our neighborhood has gone down the tubes quickly, and I'm getting tired of being a victim.
3 months ago, the cd player in our minivan was stolen. Then about a month ago, our station wagon's tires were slashed/punctured. Then about 3 weeks ago, our minivan was stolen.
It seems that almost everyday there's broken glass somewhere on our block, or a car looks as if it's been scratched.
It really makes you want to leave in a hurry, you know...
If you read this whole thing, you really love me, or you just got a great history lesson into my life. Thanks for reading..
Posted by glassgirl at August 24, 2006 02:52 AM