Driving Home - Part 1

In going home this weekend I tried to avoid as many toll roads as possible, because I am cheap in the sense that I hate spending money. It turned out to be not such a great idea because you when you look on a map, Maryland is not in between Pittsburgh and Allentown. When you see signs for Cumberland, they don't mean Cumberland, PA. Don't follow those signs! I ended up having to turn around and paying the cost of the trip on the most expensive route. So in the end I lost four bucks and an hour as I back-tracked my way to PA. Grrr.

I'm still determined to find a good route, so stay tuned to find out what happens when I make the trip again next week.

Pittsburgh Driving

I've always been one of those cautious drivers that everyone else on the road hates because I drive too slow. Not so much anymore! At first I was afraid to drive here, but after trying it a few times, I've realized it's not so bad. You just have to be aggressive, you know, claim your territory.
I do have some grievances though. This crazy city is definitely morphing my right foot into a hunk of lead whenever I get behind the wheel. There's a stoplight every two blocks. What's up with that? What's with being able to park in the right lane on Fifth Avenue on Sundays? It can take 15 minutes to go 2 miles some days when traveling from my apartment to campus. I don't understand. Life was so much more simple in Allentown...

Now that I'm moved, unpacked, settled, and have T.V. and internet, I'm beginning to feel the stress of the semester creeping in. I'm sure it's just a matter of finding a balance and knowing what to focus on, but I'm not there yet. Also, I'm beginning week three of living in Pittsburgh on my own. A little bit of homesickness is beginning to set in, but I'm so thankful for the many modes of communication we have available these days!

Today came as a relief! I finally had television and internet installed - whoo-hoo! I had been listening to the radio a lot this past week, but I was getting antsy these last few days for some entertainment. I never realized how much I take television and internet for granted!

Move-In Day

Yesterday my dad and uncle came to Pittsburgh, along with all my belongings in tow in a U-haul trailer. Despite how small my apartment is, it took forever to put carpet down and arrange all the furniture in an eye appealing fashion. In the afternoon we drove to my grandparents' nursing home and retrieved some of their furniture from when they were in an assisted living facility. That was a big help. I still have several boxes to still go through, but I'm happy the hard stuff is done!

Today I learned how to defrost a freezer using a paint scraper, a screwdriver, and a hot pan of water. Note: it helps to do this BEFORE you buy all your frozen/refrigerated food items.

My First Few Days in the 'Burgh

I arrived in Pittsburgh Sunday night after spending the weekend in Kentucky with some family, including my newborn nephew. My apartment is not available until Thursday, so I've been living with friends of a friend. They have been extremely helpful in so many ways, but apart from them, I know no one in this big place! I feel excited and a little scared at the same time, but I know things will be fine once I get settled in and meet people.