The Finest Kind of Pork

One Year Ago Today....

....I drove my moving truck out of Philadelphia as I began my journey back to Maine. After living in Philadelphia since March of 1995 I made the decision to move back to my hometown and it was this day last year that a full 16-foot moving truck, driven by moi, left my tiny little South Philadelphia street to make my way back to a small town in Maine (pop. 9,100).

I do not regret the decision as it has been so much more quiet and peaceful here in Maine than it ever was in Philadelphia. I loved my 12+ years in Philly but have found that I'm much more suited for small-town living.

I'm still in touch with a couple of people in Philly and the surrounding area, but truth be told, I'm quite disappointed that so very few of the 'friends' I made in my 12 years of residence in the City of Brotherly Love have even bothered to send me a "how you doing?" email. What is it with people who subscribe to the out-of-sight-out-of-mind philosophy? I'm especially bummed that the my friends (with only 3 exceptions, and you know who you are and you know I hope to keep hearing from you) from my disc golf family have even bothered reaching out to me since I moved. I thought I had spent my 12 years in Philly at the disc golf course (which was my home-away-from-home) making friends, but it turns out I was only making acquaintences. Such is life. It just sucks when people look you in the eye and say "Oh yeah I'll be in touch!" and turns out that they just can't be bothered with picking up a phone or sending an email.

But that's neither here nor there as it has been awesome being back. Less crime, less violence, less trash on the streets (well, practically no trash on the streets), much better weather (okay, I concede...the past winter was pretty brutal up here) and people who actually say hi to you on the street who don't even know you.

Sunrise hitting Katahdin on the morning of July 4, 2008

So Philadelphia, I must say I had 12 good years with you and for the couple of people I'm still in touch with that made the stay in Pennsylvania worth it. But I am glad to be back in Maine.