When I graduated from Wilson College in 2006, I made my first solo, non-college motivated move to Mechanicsburg in order to live close to work (super close, that is...just a 7 minute car ride and slightly dangerous bike ride...). I moved downtown into a second floor apartment, above an interior decorator. The apartment was situated in the back of the building, so the traffic noise was pretty much muffled. I enjoyed escaping out my bedroom window on the sloped roof of the first floor to catch some sun until I literally roasted. The apartment held lots of memories for me and my three kitties. But, once Zach made the decision to move in with me, we had to look for a larger apartment. And wouldn't you know, it was just half a block away, right on the square of Mechanicsburg. It was another second floor apartment, this time above Hershey Violins. It was quite spacious and the added bonus of an ice cream shop below was very appealing. So, we made the big move down the alley. Unfortunately, this apartment was definitely noisier. Let's just say we now live within 2 blocks of 2 fire stations, an ambulance bay, and a police station....need I say more? Our bedroom is also at the front of the apartment with windows on both Main and Market streets. In the summer when it's a necessity to open the windows, I am forced to wear ear plugs in order to fall asleep. Of course, this apartment also holds lots of memories for Zach and I and our four kitties. So, in order to keep record of this time in my life, I thought I'd make a list of things that I will and won't miss about this apartment.
Things I'm not going to miss once we move. (In no particular order...)
1. Sirens.
2. Drunk people from the bar across the street.
3. Cement, black top, and gravel (Bring on the fresh cut grass and flowers!).
4. Sirens.
5. Traffic, especially when wet and rainy.
6. Paying rent.
7. Trips to the laundromat.
8. Noisy people on the street.
9. Sirens.
10. Noisy tenants.
11. The dog food smell from Purina.
12. Terribly nasty carpeting.
13. Peeling walls and ceilings.
14. Smokey hallways.
15. Too many rescue vehicles parked outside my window with flashing lights and rescue workers sitting in the vehicles doing nothing. Oh, and terrible traffic cops.
16. Being on call during snowstorms since I live so close to work.
17. Cramped quarters for the kitties.
18. Did I mention sirens?
19. Cramped kitchen.
20. Tiny bathroom with only a shower.
21. Jubilee Day.
22. Fish committing suicide by jumping out of the pond.
Things I am going to miss once we move. (In no particular order...)
1. Convenience of a hardware store, bank, pizza place, laundromat, Subway, three ice cream parlors, drug store and grocery store within easy walking distance.
2. Late night walks downtown with my husband.
3. The seven minute ride to work.
4. Biking to work.
5. Roller blading to church.
6. Plowed parking lot and shoveled sidewalks.
7. Ritter's Hardware Store.
8. The four minute commute to church.
9. Walking, rollerblading, running, and biking to the park.
10. Swimming at the community pool. (Although I still hope to make use of the pool since I can easily go on my way home or to work, or even over my lunch break.)
11. Evening nights in the summer when Hershey Violins hosts an open "jam" session and amplifies it onto the street, and when good concerts were held on the square.
