goodbye, july

The minutes are counting down. We're an hour away from August. Which means... birthday is just around the corner. Two weeks and two days. Woo hoo.

As an early gift to myself, I went bike hunting today. Don't worry, it's not as glam as it sounds. But in checking out bikes in Boston, I learned a couple tough lessons:

1. Boston/Cambridge will not do resale bikes. No second hand. No used. Why? Too many bikes are stolen and sold black market. Go figure! So the only feasible response for bike stores is...

2. Bike stores only sell new bikes. Well of course! Why sell a used bike for $100 when you could sell a new one for $500? Or for that matter, a single speed cruiser for $499, 10-speed for $599 and... if you are the god of bikes, a fancy racing one in the thousands.

I respect cyclists. I do. For those of you who race or live your life on your bike, invest. I will never judge you. BUT. . . if you're a jack-around-town like me, just using it for a little back and forth to work, quick gym time, a visit to the Charles river on a gorgeous Sunday, why would you ever spend five hundred big ones on a bike from that shop?

(I suppose you could always check Murderlist Craigslist, but I'm not wasting my time on something without a guarantee or refund policy. Yay Target with a 90 day return policy and a 'lifetime warranty.')

Shop local, yes. I would normally argue that as well. But I'm also a fan of shopping smart. Granted my Target special (imagine the French me saying tar-shjay) doesn't come with a free year's worth of tune ups (and maybe I'm saying this too soon), but I'm pretty content. This ole bike hung in for an entire day. The lights still work, the bell still chimes and the gears seem to shift like they're supposed to. I'm a happy camper and feel as if I'm a smart consumer.
Not to mention the most exciting part: I'm now FREE! Free to see gorgeous parts of Boston without anything holding me back! See for yourself below... gorgeous. Get yourself a bike and join my club - the Boston bicycle cool kids club.

the new man in the ring

We've all heard "life is short," ....so, who cares? We all grow, we all develop, we mature, and we die. The end. I mean really, we're all going to be dead at some point.

But the difference lies in the journey. The path we take. The road we drive. The adventure we create for ourselves.

My adventure is this: Moving 1,500 miles away from everything I know and love, creating a new life for myself, establishing a group of people that can understand and relate to me (as well as I, them), and finding for myself what in life is worth pursuing.

February 16th, 2009 - the exact halfway point in my 23rd year of life. That is the day of personal revolution, evolution, and reinvestment. The point at which I decided I'd pursue positive, constructive things in my life, and leave behind for good those tendencies which bring me down.

So, with no further adieu, I present the new me. The yankee, the chowda head, the Bostonian. The east-coaster, the midwestern boy turned city boy - far from the farm, yet with its principles and dignities still entrenched upon my heart. The transplant new guy in the city; the unknown amongst the known.

This is where I'm expecting to jot my thoughts, hold myself accountable, and establish goals for myself. Feel free to give me your two cents :)