Becoming an Urban-Active-Gal in Boston

I'm an active, go-getter, get-to-the-gym, workout-lovin' sort of gal. I LOVE running, walking, cycling, and various gym-based workout classes (kickboxing, yoga, lift, spin, boot camp). An integral part of my transition to Boston has included a lot of time (already) devoted to finding a good (read affordable) gym and the 'best' running and cycling trails available. I am DELIGHTED to report that my search has been incredibly fruitful. In fact, given the plethora of awesome running and cycling trails (and with the use of my trusty 'at home' equipment including bands, plates, dumb-bells etc)I feel quite sure that this West-Coast-active-gal will make a smooth transition to Boston with little more than a tiny, barely detectable hickup in my daily workout routine. In fact the trail and park system seem so great (from this vantage point) that I suspect that I will be able to leisurely test gyms without rushing into a contract. I love the idea that I can take my time finding THE perfect gym that meets my workout needs, where I will sweat my guts out during the long, snowy, cold, dark, windy winter months (sounds great, right?). Check out some of the trails I have found so far. After I arrive and begin visiting these parks and trails I'll update you with how the rate compared to the AWESOME trails and parks in Eugene.

1. Charles River Bike Paths: This bike path/running path runs about 20 miles (perfect for marathon training...if I was into that sort of thing). The Charles River Bike Path is a mixed-use path in the Boston, Massachusetts area. It follows both shores of the Charles River from Boston, Massachusetts to Norumbega Park in Newton, passing through Watertown and Waltham.

2. The Esplanade: Also referred to by some as the 'essential urban park' the Esplanade stretches almost three miles along the Boston shore of the Charles River, from the Museum of Science to the Boston University Bridge. This park contains more than six miles of walkways and bike paths and five miles of river bank. In addition to being a lovely park along the river it also is the site for a premier fireworks show on July 4. We'll have to check this out and report back.

3. Jamaica Pond: One of the most LGBT friendly neighborhoods in Boston (is lovingly referred to as the 'lesbian neighborhood), is home to Jamaica Pond and its 1.5 mile running/walking path.

4. Arnold Arboretum: Arnold Arboretum is touted as one of the most lovely running and walking areas in Boston. Owned by Harvard University this is the oldest public arboretum in North America. With its miles of paved paths, acres of gorgeous plants and other foliage, and dog friendly policies, this will be a must-do on our exercise/walking list.

5. The Freedom Trail: This downtown, urban 2.5 mile loop is dotted with shops, history, and tourist attractions. I anticipate, based on online reviews, that this loop is heavily trafficked by tourists, and while it is a 'must do', it may not be the best local for a 'serious' run.

It seems quite clear that working out and soaking up my new city will be as easy as pulling on my tenny-pumps and running shorts. I think I'm looking most forward to these runs...to the time when running becomes about exploring this new and exciting city.

Another day in the Neighborhood

It is raining CATS AND DOGS here in Eugene today, and the wind is WHISTLING through the tiny, new, dainty leaves and buds that dot all the trees and bushes. Was it REALLY 72 degrees yesterday? This afternoon, as if sent by divine sources, in the middle of this 'spring' weather I received a text message from a friend/research colleague in Boston who stated simply: I'm in Boston. It is beautiful." Is there a more divine message?

Yesterday I exchanged emails with a wonderful colleague from Boston (she has been a local there for more than 10 years and is a veritable fountain of knowledge). She strongly supported our decision that I will not have a car in Boston. She assured me that the trains and buses are wonderful and that there are bike paths that will get me to and from my office easily during 'cycling' weather. Little does she know that I only cycle to work when the sun is shining, the sky is clear and Saturn is in the 7th house. :) I exaggerate...I'm not THAT much of a fair weather rider....I will ride no matter what house Saturn is in. Nevertheless, her confirmation was incredibly encouraging.

I'm finding that making the necessary arrangements to move so far away can rattle me. But I also find that communicating with people 'on the ground' in Boston always smooths my feathers....which can be found going every which-way and is quite unbecoming.

The 'stats' on my big move have not changed much in recent days. I still do not know if I will move with very little and buy 'gently used' furniture when I touch down in Boston, or if I will ship my favorite items (namely my bed and book cases) and eat the cost. I also do not know exactly when I will depart Eugene. However, along these lines, this is what I DO know:
1. I will fly to Boston from the NW (free airline miles)
2. I will start my new job at Boston University on July 1
3. I will leave Eugene sometime between June 21 and June 25
4. I will take Macy with me
5. I will will interview a rental broker in the coming weeks
5. I will need to find a thick, warm, down winter coat...and long johns. :) (K, this is for you)

So, since I don't have much in the way up updates, here are some pics of my new city!



Here is 'Boston Common'.
According to a government site, "The starting point of the Freedom Trail, Boston Common is the oldest park in the country. The park is almost 50 acres in size.

Today, Boston Common is the anchor for the Emerald Necklace, a system of connected parks that winds through many of Boston's neighborhoods.

The "Common" has been used for many different purposes throughout its long history. Until 1830, cattle grazed the Common, and until 1817, public hangings took place here. British troops camped on Boston Common prior to the Revolution and left from here to face colonial resistance at Lexington and Concord in April, 1775.

Celebrities, including Martin Luther King Jr., Pope John Paul II, and Gloria Steinem (advocate of the feminist revolution), have given speeches at the Common. "

Here we have a glorious picture of the Boston skyline at night,
taken from the harbor. It is so lovely isn't it? I have always had a longing to live in the proverbial 'big city'...it is like a 'call from the wild' deep in my soul. Okay, that might be a tad melodramatic (but you've met me, right?)....but I do love a big city. Every time we vacation to a big city (Toronto, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego) I fall in LOVE. This has occurred so frequently that some of my friends know me only as the one who loves all urban areas. I think this experience going to be marvelous!! Bring on the chow-dah.

The River Called 'Denial' (the nile) (da nile) (denial...get it?)

My understanding of the magnitude of this endeavor, this grant and the moving to Boston, has squarely settled into my life. I've decided that this has been very much like a torrid love affair with all of the excitement, butterflies, and over the moon bliss one expects from falling in love. And, now, about two weeks into thinking and planning, it has become a reality. Suddenly I'm seeing all of the less attractive characteristics of the object of my desire. Like, it is going to be CRAZY expensive to move, and Boston is C-O-L-D, and my friends and family are here (as in not there), and I have a lot of 'junk' that needs sorting/packing/selling/goodwill-ing. I have started a phase of being entirely overwhelmed....to the point of denial. I have now started pretending that I have all the time in the world and that there isn't really that much to do. *Sigh* Would it be bad to just leave everything except Macy, my lap top and clothes and move?

I know that this is yet another phase in my accepting this transition. But here's the deal with me and transition. I *heart* transition, at the beginning when the love affair is all hot and steamy, but then in the middle I like to take a break, cool my jets, until the end when the transition is really just 'normal life'...I *heart* normal life. But alas, I am going to have to just take a deep breath, pull up my big girl under-dunders and get the job done.

So far we have made 5 trips to goodwill and have put the subaru on the market. Two individuals have expressed interest and I think it will sell pretty quickly. We have been looking at rental properties online and are currently trying to decide if we should use a 'rental broker' or not. Many (most?) folks renting property in Boston use (and recommend using) a rental broker. Given that we have never done this we are bit skeptical. These 'brokers', for a fee, will line up apartments that fit your criteria so that you can see many properties as quickly as possible to maximize the chance of landing a great place. We are looking more into this option. It might work well for us because we don't know the area well, don't live near the area and this approach might help us be more efficient while we are there in May for the purpose of securing a place. So, despite my denial and swirly-overwhelmed-ness (sorry for using fake words) we have made a significant amount of progress.

In between all of these denial-planning-mood-swings I have a dissertation to defend. Oh right....that. I have finished (hopefully) my presentation slides for the big day on April 5. I have a 'study guide' that I'm working on to help me be prepared for the tough questions from faculty, and I'll be practicing to the point that Trina will be able to move her lips along with my presentation. Poor thing. How does she put up with me??

So I have one question for you out there. How do you cope with massive life transitions?

Are there daffodils in Boston?

The way I experience daily life is changing. Every moment that I have left in Eugene is being savored, rolled around in my mind, and deliberately enjoyed. I am absorbing the landscape and rhythms, that I have all too often taken for granted,
with all of my senses. Sometimes it feels like I am storing these moments for future, snowy, urban days when I am homesick for the familiarity of North-West.

As spring comes into bloom I am struck by its beauty. Delicate petals in soft hues of light pink and white have enveloped the fruit trees. Tiny green buds promising full, luscious leaves dot branch and bush everywhere I look. There is a sweetness in the warming air and the sky is more frequently that lovely shade of blue that means summer is near. Daffodils are spreading sunshine abundantly and tulips are about to make their debut. As I soak up all of this delicious color I can't help but wonder, does Boston have daffodils in March? What are the seasonal rhythms there? Someone, please, tell me that I won't be wearing winter boots with down coats and wool scarves in March.


I did a quick check online for 'average temperatures' in Boston. I thought some of you might like to take a look. This is a nice graph and might help you to plan your visits...you will be visiting, won't you?



And perhaps more importantly, sunshine.

pods, uhauls, freight trucks, OH MY!

Today, while not a terribly exciting day in the journey toward Boston, I did gather some preliminary information pertaining to HOW my belongings will be transported to Boston. As I see it currently there are three options, though I am wide open to suggestions, so comment to your hearts delight!

1. Uhaul: Good, ol' fashion Uhaul will allow me to rent a truck, fill the truck, drive the truck and unload the truck for a mere $3,000 dollars...bargain? I think not. Originally I had thought that this would be my best bet, but with the cost of fuel and hotels (to say nothing of the time) on the 3500 mile road between Eugene and Boston being this unexpectedly high, I decided I needed to look into alternatives.

2. For the cost of the 'do it yourself' cross country move (see uhaul above), I thought that PERHAPS I could load all of my material possessions into a 'pod' (large metal box) and have it shipped to Boston where I would unload the 'pod' for less dough. Oh my, was I wrong. It seems that there is only one size of pod that my bed and other belongings will fit in....the $4,200-size pod...gulp! Talk about sticker shock! I had NO idea. I am going to call in the morning to ask if the POD is lined with gold...because honestly I really only need the 'standard, gold-free' version.

3. Freight. Apparently there are hybrid-moving companies that will drop off a freight trailer to one's address. In this case the client (me) loads the trailer, using as much space as needed (though estimated in advance). One then pays only for the space used (measured in linear feet, whatever that means). Then the drivers drive the trailer to Boston for me and deliver the goods to my new residence. Then I spend the day unloading the trailer. This service is provided to the client for a mere $2,600...at this point, a rock bottom bargain price.

I suppose, to save money, I could load Macy, my clothes and whatever fits into my suitcases and go to Boston 'free and clear'...but this presents a few other difficulties. For example, what would I do without my wetsuit? Or what about my plate collection? I imagine that when I arrive in Boston I will likely want to throw a 'wet suit' theme dinner party as soon as possible.

Trina and I have a few 'requests for estimates' out to a few other companies. We figure at this point in the game, if we are talking about this many thousands (gulp) of dollars, we might as well see what it costs to have people load it and unload it for us. I have a hard time believing that any of their quotes will be less than what I have described above...but I also never thought that I would, a) run a marathon, b) complete an ironman, c) get a PhD, d) earn a grant, or e) move to Boston. The darndest things have been happening the last few years; all of my wildest dreams are coming true!!! What a life of abundance and blessing!!

Urban Life, Here I Come!

There are more details than I ever could have appreciated prior to this moment involved in a cross country move. As an 'academic', in a torrid love affair with 'data', I immediately begin to sort these details into 'manageable' categories that I can quantify, check off, and pack away. So far the emerging categories include:

1. Finishing and passing my dissertation defense (ha, you know, that 'little' thing)
2. All things moving (as in home inventory, garage sale, packing, shipping my junk, and getting drugs for the pets)
3. Finding a home in Boston (what did people do before the Internet??)
4. Figuring out my new city
5. Others?

Today I picked up my first round of boxes. I am DELIGHTED to report that these are 'reused' boxes from a local, small business. I feel really great about reusing pre-existing materials and saving a BUNDLE on new boxes from the moving giant known as UHaul. This step in achievement has left me feeling like I 'earned' the opportunity to fantasize a bit and so I have become obsessed with topic #4: figuring out my new city.

First, I have decided to sell my car. The proceeds will help me to pay deposits and move in fees in Boston (I won't tell you what these are as they might insight a coronary event). Additionally, I cannot possibly afford to park or drive a care in Boston (again the cost will stop your heart). However, there has been some concern about my not having a mode of transportation other than the excellent mass transit system. Well, consider this problem solved. As a Boston University employee I will have an awesome and inexpensive membership to 'zip car'. What is 'zip car' you ask. Only the most awesome solution for the episodic need for transportation! Check them out at: http://www.zipcar.com/is-it/

Zip car is a car sharing company used by many urban areas in the US. Essentially, I pay my membership dues annually ($25 as a BU employee), then I can 'rent' a zip car for $7.00 hourly (for the most economical car available, more for the BMW or big rig). These zip cars are scheduled for use via an online calendar/scheduling system and are available in neighborhoods (read: cars are parked in neighborhoods) throughout Boston. Feel free to check them out at:

I'm excited about this for a few reasons. First, it radically reduces the stress and need to find an apartment with parking. Second, it reduces my monthly living expenses because I won't need to carry insurance or pay for regular car maintenance. Finally and third, I have driven A LOT in the past six years of graduate school. I am ready to hang up the car keys, and reduce my gasoline use. Zip car allows me to do this while also allowing me the freedom to drive occasionally...like to do BIG grocery trips. Three cheers for zip car.

So many of you have been writing me with comments and ideas. THANK YOU! I love hearing from you and your contributions make my day. This is a really exciting time and I'm glad you can be a part of the process.

Now, I need to get back to my dissertation defense presentation. I just learned that I only get 45 minutes to present my research. Don't they realize who they're dealing with? I could take a full two hours to discuss and THEN take questions for an hour. :)

Until next time!

Waxing Poetic

I have a terrible, or fabulous, habit of romanticizing most every life-altering experience. I used to have the most wonderful fantasies of the 'glamor' of preparing for and completing an Ironman. These little fantasies involved becoming unbelievably 'fit' (aka ripped to the point of being able to identify every finely toned muscle in my body), and a phenomenal and shockingly fast race. Clearly I was oblivious to the trauma involved in the hours of relentless training, body aches, hundreds of gel packs, gallons of sweet/salty fluid replacement beverages and the other challenges that Ironman training presented (GI trouble). While this experience was remarkable, and transformative in numerous and positive ways, it was anything but glamorous. Ironman was more 'glamor-not' than glamorous.

I also once-upon-a-time dreamed of earning a PhD...a task that I was sure would include endless hours of pontification and philosophizing. In these day-dreams I always spoke eloquently, using enormous and grand words, and wore a beret...why I connected higher education with puffy French hats I'll never know. Clearly earning the PhD has been far less 'sitting and thinking' and far more 'holy crud....there's so much to do....where's my head?'


So, as I prepare to move to Boston I am already fantasizing about what will become my life as I am living on the East Coast. These little day dreams have melded with my 'urban lifestyle' fantasies (that have been marinating for decades) and so I frequently find myself dreaming of lovely walks to the neighborhood market for groceries and fresh flowers a few times a week. I imagine that I'll find a coffee shop that I visit so frequently that 'everyone knows my name' and a similar haunt for wine. Macy and I will have sweet urban walks along some charming path in some urban park and I will watch couples stroll along the waterfront (is there a water front in Boston?). I also imagine that I fall in love with the bump and grind of the city's pulse with all of its sounds and smells.

There are a hundred things I want to do while I live on the East coast. I must see NYC at Christmas (don't worry folks I'll come home for the holidays). I want to volunteer at the Boston Marathon. I want to visit Harvard (the closest I'll ever get), and I want to marry Lady-T.


Clearly I have not yet developed an honest view of what my life will look like. Do you have advice, sage words of wisdom? What do I need to know to successfully get through my two years in Boston? Tell me it will be all peaches and cream, rainbows and puppies. I don't know if I'm really ready for the grit and intensity that I secretly expect Boston to be.

Eco-Friendly Moving

We ALMOST made it through a complete inventory of our first room yesterday. We took a medium sized load to goodwill (yea tax write off), and started our very long spreadsheet of home goods. I should say that the first room on the docket was Macy's room. This room is considered a 'bonus' room in our home and is above the garage. It is sparsely filled with a few book shelves, a bed and Macy's things. Still, the inventory for this room took 2.5 hours. WOWZA. I think it's a good thing that we are starting this process early.

The experience was delightful. We both felt liberated by purging our home and our lives of 'things' that we no longer need or frankly even remembered that we had. Certainly we both had moments of 'oh, gosh, but I loved that'...emphasis on the past tense. I've decided that many of the things I've been lugging around from home to home are unnecessarily. Each item contributed to my past experience, and in turn, have contributed to who I am now. But keeping around date books from 1999, or art supplies long dried up, only keep me weighted down. This process will no doubt become more intense as I begin processing my office....a densely packed space filled with notes, cards, books, journals, articles and the like.

But I am beginning to look at the things in our home with a new eye. I am also considering the imprint that my cross country move could have on the environment. Lady T and I try to live in a sustainable way by making small and permanent changes in our lives. Along these lines I have begun searching for ideas and tricks to minimizing the environmental cost of this move to Boston. Here is some of what I have found so far:

1. Pare down possessions to minimize the weight to ship or drive belongings to the new destination (in process)
2. Find boxes and other moving supplies that are recycled or reused (rather than buying new)
* I'm working on finding these by searching craigslist and other sources
3. Donate books to libraries and other charities

What are your suggestions?

This week we will learn about the official word on my funding from the American Cancer Society. We are excited and can hardly keep ourselves from becoming silly romantics about the move. We have visions of beautiful New England dancing in our heads.

Home Inventory (aka, how much stuff do I really have)

Last week we learned that I will be moving to Boston, Ma on post doctoral fellowship at Boston University. I have lived in the NW nearly my entire life, so a cross country move has me desperately seeking blogs, websites, books and friends for sage wisdom for 'tips and tricks' to make the move, well, manageable (getting there alive). So far I have learned:
1. Do not pack everything (shocking, but honestly helpful...do these bloggers know me?)
2. Start early and inventory everything (ooh, I love this!)
3. Sort everything you own into the following categories:
a. keep
b. sell or consign
c. goodwill/give away
d. store
e. recycle/garbage
4. Plan ahead (you should see our family calendar!)

Today we will begin the daunting task of home inventory. My partner (the lovely lady-T) will be the driving force in this task and already is giggling with glee at the prospect of spending a day entering our every belonging into a tidy spreadsheet. I think we will be most successful if we are to start with a single, sparsely decorated room. This will allow us to get our 'feet wet' without committing to an inventory of the kitchen (gasp) or my office (fainting).

As we inventory our belongings we will also categorize items according to the above sorting system (understanding that we will need to adjust and be flexible as we delve more deeply into this process). I anticipate we will be unable to keep ourselves from making the first, of what I fear will be more than a hundred trips to the neighborhood goodwill later today. Do you think they have a 'frequent flyer' program?

Do you have tips, ideas or suggestions that could make this 'cross country' move more fun? Do you have stories about your own fabulous coast to coast move? Please share. The more the merrier. I'm currently cataloging ideas for songs to sing in the car and things not to be missed along the way. Also of interest, how to transport feisty cat and sassy dog without losing my hair.