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A “Lifestyle” List: What I Will Miss About Philadelphia

June is for soul-searching. June is for psychological indulgence of every “what if,” so I can get them all out of my system and stop feeling like a yellow-belly. The change of location is the most topical piece of this farm equation. I am beginning to interpolate the idea that the choice to move from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Population: 1.5 million) to Tamworth, New Hampshire (Population: circa 1000) involves a real commitment to a new LIFESTYLE.

“Lifestyle” is one of the vague buzzwords that gets thrown around, loosely, quite a bit. Today, I am examining the implications of my change of “lifestyle.”

Wikipedia tells me that that term was coined in 1929 by Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychologist. “Lifestyle” refers to “a characteristic bundle of behaviors that makes sense to both others and oneself in a given time and place, including social relations, consumption, entertainment, and dress. The behaviors and practices within lifestyles are a mixture of habits, conventional ways of doing things, and reasoned actions. A lifestyle typically also reflects an individual’s attitudes, values or worldview. Therefore, a lifestyle is a means of forging a sense of self and to create cultural symbols that resonate with personal identity. Not all aspects of a lifestyle are entirely voluntaristic. Surrounding social and technical systems can constrain the lifestyle choices available to the individual and the symbols she/he is able to project to others and the self.”

Merriam-Webster defines it as”the typical way of life of an individual, group, or culture.”

So, all things considered, my LIFESTYLE will be altered significantly. I will keep you posted on what the NEW GREAT HILL FARM LIFESTYLE entails as soon as I start living it. Until then, I am re-examining the sort of life I was living in Philadelphia.

Lately, I have been taking note of rituals, habits, routines, places, activities, eating habits, entertainment choices, and modes of dress that, to the best of my knowledge, will NOT be part of rural life. Most of these I am fine with. Nay, grateful to be shedding (i.e. - waiting for The El, ambulance sirens at 4 am, sludge-filled rain puddles, creepy drunk people pouring out of bars, really expensive grocery shopping, getting doored on the way to work…)

Some things, places, activities…some components of My Philadelphia Lifestyle…I will, unabashedly, miss.

And they are as follows:

-Wearing fabulous, non-sensible shoes

-Finding new BYOBs

-Friends crashing on my futon

-Biking everywhere

-Housewarming parties

-Vegetable sushi rolls from Mizu

-Ethiopian food and drinks outside at Dahlak

-Dim Sum at Kingdom of Vegetarians

-Drooling over everything in Reward

-Daily coffee from Bonte before work

-24-hour convenience stores

-Utrecht and Utrecht cardboard portfolios

-The Common Press

-Mushroom and egg white omelets at Oregon Diner

-Soft tacos and chips late at night at Verracruzana

-Capogiro after dinner, especially Mexican chocolate

-The Philadelphia Orchestra

-The occasional awesome show at Johnny Brenda’s, when you can sit on the balcony with a beer and warm chocolate truffle cake and savor both, unhindered.

-Dock Street Espresso Stout

-Getting goaded into going out dancing, enjoying it, and wandering home at 3 am.

-The Bikeshop Special at The Satellite

-Being within walking/biking distance of any store and/or friend you may need to visit.

-The Phillies

-The man who plays trumpet Christmas carols every year near Rittenhouse

-Rittenhouse Square in the winter

-Roof decks with a view of the skyline

-The occasional crazy-stimulating piece in a gallery that makes you think for days.

———————

Before I get simperingly sentimental and wracked with misplaced nostalgia…

Batting Next…A New New Hampshire Life: What I Am Looking Forward To