How it Goes Here

How it Goes Here

I am learning Atlanta at a slow, steady pace. Learning Boston was rushed, an almost crushing experience – everything there was so foreign and exciting – while learning my new native city is different. It’s as if Boston is a little boy with ADHD who had to tell you everything at once, who had a million different little pockets of his personality waiting to bust in on you at any moment. Atlanta is quieter at first. You have to get to know Atlanta before she’ll let you in on her quiet little secrets. Boston may look like it’s more loud and rowdy, but they’re both probably just as full of mischief. In fact, Atlanta is probably more fun – but you’ll have to get to know her first.

On Friday and Saturday nights I like to see the lines stretching into clubs down Peachtree Street. I think watching the lines is often more fun than actually going into the clubs; I mean, these people clearly want to be seen and looked at, the club kids – there’s this guy who dresses up in a gorilla suit, for instance -

I just like walking around with my friends at night. Not that I get to go out at night, because I work myself too damn hard. I’m always painting or editing or writing at some damn thing. Luckily, Kati and Michael are coming to visit this weekend, and I’m all excited about using them as an excuse to just have fun.

I found out that my upstairs neighbors are a freelance writer who once helped write some Whitewolf gaming books, and a guy who works on grants that make the world a better place, just like me. Our house is full of arty intellectual people, and that’s super cool.

I’m starting to feel settled and happy. My romantic life could be in better shape, but it at least has some halfway active sense to it that I find mildly comforting in its sameness. I got to help write the disaster plan for a public library system this week. My new job is bent on developing me professionally, so I have tickets to big events in the archives world. This makes me so happy I could just pass out. Having a good career base at last does a lot for me.

I’m getting to that secure quiet place I’ve always wanted to be. And that’s enough, it’s just enough, for now.