Making a comeback...

So wow...it's been two years since I updated my blog. Much has transpired. A couple of weeks after my last post in April 2007, Mike proposed to me in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. In February of the following year (2008), we said goodbye to New York and all of our friends and moved to Texas. We were married in Houston in April. We rented in Austin for about a year. We had no plans to buy any time soon, but with the housing market as it was and interest rates so low, we decided to take the leap and are now proud homeowners. Our dog, Dobe, loves it very much. One of the first things we did for him was to install a doggie door to give him access to the backyard. MUCH better than being at the mercy of his sleepy owners at 3:00 in the morning like it was in the apartment. We also adopted a cat named Emmy. Emmy no longer resides with us though. It just didn't work out. That may be a story for another time.

We miss New York and our friends there very much. There is no place on earth like it, and I feel very fortunate to be able to say that I lived there for two years of my life. However, we really love being in Central Texas. We have access to so many local natural resources like lakes and parks, and the weather allows us to utilize them most of the year. But I guess the biggest difference is the space per square foot. Our home is about five times the size (not counting the yard) as our studio apartment in Brooklyn, and we are paying nearly the same per month to own it.

One disadvantage is the lack of public transportation. We both have cars, and though they are both economical, we spend a lot in gas, insurance and car payments. I never thought I would say that I missed the NYC subways, but there it is. And it's not just that I can get from point A to point B without the huge cost. Since leaving New York, I went from reading 1-2 books per month to 1-2 books every 4-5 months! In NYC, I did all my reading in transit, and now I am lucky to get in 5 pages before I drift off to sleep.

Of course, anyone who knows me well knows what I miss the most about living in NYC...Broadway! It kills me to think of all the shows that I will never see. Those short-run plays that are big hits but will never tour. Most of the musicals that I love will eventually make the rounds. In the meantime, I cannot wait until our next visit to NYC (hopefully in October). The first show I want to see is In The Heights. The rest I need to research. Le and Swamy just came back from a visit last month and saw a few really good shows that they may be able to recommend. (Alas! I will not be able to see them all!)

So that is my life the past two years in a nutshell. Of course I left out lots of details...the job, activities, family life, etc. That will come later! Thanks for reading, and hope you are all doing great!