there are many things i miss about life in pittsburgh. i miss having friends my age, the open door, using my bike more and my car less, actual diversity, and all the great neighborhoods. i miss art galleries, independent movies, the cultural district, wyep, the arts festival, and free concerts. i miss coffee shops and stores that are open past five. i miss sushi at giant eagle and restaurants that serve something beyond burgers, like baba ganouj, curry, or wat...yum.
there are a few things i don't miss: slum lords, cockroaches the size of dogs, sewage problems, leaky roofs, or dumpsters outside our bedroom windows being emptied at 3, 4, and 5 am. i don't miss traffic, pot holes, aggressive driving, or parking tickets. i don't miss lugging groceries down the block or up several flights of stairs. I don't miss sliding down the icy fire escape--the only way into or out of our first apartment.
i do miss the view from our apartment's roof, but all in all, i know we traded up when it comes to scenery:
there are a few things i don't miss: slum lords, cockroaches the size of dogs, sewage problems, leaky roofs, or dumpsters outside our bedroom windows being emptied at 3, 4, and 5 am. i don't miss traffic, pot holes, aggressive driving, or parking tickets. i don't miss lugging groceries down the block or up several flights of stairs. I don't miss sliding down the icy fire escape--the only way into or out of our first apartment.
i do miss the view from our apartment's roof, but all in all, i know we traded up when it comes to scenery:
we had a memorial day party this weekend, and it was so great to have space to entertain a crowd. camp provides us with a spacious house which overlooks acres of land. kids ran and played and friends staked out various corners of the house and yard to enjoy the weather, beauty, food, and company. i loved seeing people feel comfortable, and it was a gorgeous day to spend outside.
in college, i mostly worked here at camp, but one summer i spent at the pittsburgh project, a community development ministry on the north side. i worked with service camp and helped teenagers renovate houses for low-income, elderly homeowners. i learned about scripture and the intersection of faith and justice. i became acutely aware of poverty issues, racism, and what the shalom and kingdom of God could really look like, "on earth as it is in heaven." i fell in love with the city.
it was also a difficult summer. i lived in a crowded room with close to twenty other girls and experienced virtually no solitude. the only green space in walking distance was a lone ball field. everywhere i turned there was noise, people, and concrete, amplifying my stress, frustration, and loneliness. ligonier certainly beats pittsburgh in the abundant green space department, and in that, my soul rejoices.
in college, i mostly worked here at camp, but one summer i spent at the pittsburgh project, a community development ministry on the north side. i worked with service camp and helped teenagers renovate houses for low-income, elderly homeowners. i learned about scripture and the intersection of faith and justice. i became acutely aware of poverty issues, racism, and what the shalom and kingdom of God could really look like, "on earth as it is in heaven." i fell in love with the city.
it was also a difficult summer. i lived in a crowded room with close to twenty other girls and experienced virtually no solitude. the only green space in walking distance was a lone ball field. everywhere i turned there was noise, people, and concrete, amplifying my stress, frustration, and loneliness. ligonier certainly beats pittsburgh in the abundant green space department, and in that, my soul rejoices.
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