"I would've taken it if I were you," my mom said when I told her about my newest life drama. "You have nothing tying you down."
Um...leave my favorite place in the world? Does she not know me at all?
I can honestly say I've given up a lot for this city. In 2007, I moved here from south of the Mason Dixie Line after graduate school. I walked away from three dear friends and a serious relationship. Well, technically, the guy walked away from me. We tried long distance, and I even tried to get him to move up here with me, but no dice.
However, I didn't mourn the loss of NapoDyno for long. I cried for maybe like three hours tops, ate a chocolate-covered coffee roll from Dunks, and I felt so much better. I mean, come on, I had Boston! And, she is soooo much better than NapoDyno.
I've wanted to live in Boston my entire life, and I can't explain why. I've just always felt drawn to this wondrous city. So, here I was, dammit. Sure, I was boyfriendless, but I had Boston to distract me, and it did.
Then in June 2010, my love of Boston was a catalyst in the demise of another relationship. He hated it here and kept applying for jobs out of state. It eventually lead to tensions and him deciding I was way more into the relationship than he was. It hurt like a kick in the face by a person wearing golf shoes. But, if he hated Boston so much, we obviously weren't meant to be together anyway. Ironically, I hear he's living in Quincy now. Which is kind of sad, yet funny. Way to get out of dodge, Sasquatch.
So, once again, I found myself on my couch, crying, but with the comfort that I still had Boston to come home to. And, she would never dump me...no matter what.
Two months later I moved out to Cambridge and fell in love all over again. Not with a dude, but with Cambridge and Davis Square. I n fact, I love my apartment so much that my poor landlord will have to drag my decaying body out of it because I'm never leaving. I'll even tolerate the yappy dog next door and the busybody neighbor who's always all up in our business. This place is worth it, believe me.
I remember taking the T home from work the first time after my move and seeing the magnificent view of the Charles River as the redline crossed over the Longfellow Bridge. God, I love this city, I thought to myself as I craned my neck to see the skyline whizzing by and the river gleaming in the setting sun. I smiled and silently offered thanks to Boston for saving me from a boring life in freaking Connecticut with a cheap bastard who had more hair on his hands than on his freaking head.
Flash forward to April 2011, which was literally the best of times and the worst of times for me. The company I worked for decided to close the Boston office. I was told I could keep my job if I moved to California.
Now most people who I've told this to think I'm certifiably insane. Who wouldn't want to move to Sunny SoCal? Nerdrodite, that's who! Hello, Boston is the love of my life!
Boston is my home. I love her for better or for worse. I just hope she loves me as much as I lover her.
