It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Today is just that, a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Mosby and I took a walk to the new neighborhood bakery. The sky is as blue as possible, the old trees line the streets with color and frame the houses that have seen nearly a century of seasons change. The sun is warm, but not hot, the breeze cool, but not cold, and the sweet smell of freshly cut grass still lingers alongside the cozy smell of dried leaves. It is one of those days where everyone seems to recognize it's beauty and cannot help but share it with others. Each passerby greets with a hello and a genuine smile. Chatting with neighbors in the bakery of course had to be topped off with a cookie and a cup of coffee.

Most casual conversations in our neighborhood revolve around Mosby. We actually joke that while everyone may love Raymond, everbody absolutely LOVES Mosby. So he got his usual compliments on our walk along with the usual curiosity about what kind of dog he is (is it a bad sign if your dog gets more compliments than you?!). This dog has the neighborhood wrapped around his little paw.

As we are entering our last seasons here in Minnesota, I have a heightened sense of appreciation for our surroundings: our friends, family, and neighborhood. We are so looking forward to the changes ahead, but as one who so often looks only ahead, I do want to make sure I really soak in the present and recognize all that Minnesota has given us these past 5 years. I will miss living here in St. Paul. I will miss the city life, where everything is within walking distance. I will miss walking amidst the old mansions on Summit, imagining the lives of those who first lived there. I will miss running to the Cathedral and catching my breath every time at its sheer size and beauty (which somehow surprises me even though I see it nearly every day). I will miss walking to the local coffee shop where I know the workers and regulars, and where we are a little community of "work from home" types- even though none of us stay at home. I just love the Cathedral hill neighborhood, and am so glad that Will believed me when I told him St. Paul "wasn't that bad" (he was skeptical at first).

As I am interviewing people about becoming adults, I can't help to think about it myself. I feel that this is where we really grew up, and yes, I would say became adults. Our first place, in Minneapolis, we were both in school, newleyweds, and just getting accustomed to our new lives (school, friends, MN). And lets be honest, if your primary closet is located in the middle of your living room, and two relatively small people can barely fit in your kitchen, it doesn't really scream permanence. However, since moving to St. Paul a couple of years ago, we have really made this neighborhood our own, grown closer with friends, added a four-legged member to our family, bought a car, invested in our careers, and shared in many friends' joys of marriage and parenthood. As those close to us know, it hasn't always been roses and we've had our fair share of growing pains, but overall, I think it has been a special and important season in our lives. I just wanted to give it it's due. I'm sure much of this year I will be focused on what's to come, so I wanted to document my thoughts, and also to begin to process and grieve, because I am sure I will miss much of these things when we are gone.

Thanks for listening,
Kirsten