One Year In Ithaca

[The following post is something I wrote a year ago, in February 2015, as a guest writer for the Finger Lakes Running & Triathlon Co. Blog. I'd say that another year spent in Ithaca has only reinforced the opinions I've written about below. My wife and I continue to meet friendly, like-minded people in the area and we still hope to live here long-term.]

I think we can all agree, moving from one house or apartment to another can be exciting. It opens up a world of possibilities, from additional living space and some new decor, to an excuse for upgrading appliances and purging closets full of useless and forgotten stuff. On the other hand, it can be stressful in a variety of ways. Aside from the physical effort that goes into moving carloads of more things than you'd ever remembered owning, it brings a new daily routine and change of pace. In some cases, it results in a whole new city with changes in scenery and people, complete with all the lingering doubts about whether or not you made the right decision. "What if I hate this place? What if I stick out like a sore thumb?" Unfortunately, many of us have to deal with this at one time or another, and the end result isn't always desirable.

I happen to be writing this one year to the day that my wife and I moved to the City of Ithaca. Hayley landed a job here nearly two years ago, and for a year she had been commuting back and forth from Binghamton. We made somewhat