Explore Your Own World With A Possible Case of the Olds

After living in The Hamiltons for over 14 months, we're finally just getting into exploring everything this unique city neighborhood has to offer. Meaning, beyond Clementine's Taco Tuesday & the famous Hamilton Tavern Crosstown Burger. 

Many newlyweds co-habitate before jumping the broom, giving them the opportunity to break their own ground and discover their community, as Jeremy and I chose to do in Canton. Those that don't live in sin probably get settled post-marriage and then begin this discovery process. Either way is great --- just make sure you do it! So easy to go to the same restaurants, same bars. Eat the same food. Shop at the same grocery stores. Humans innately stay close to the nest, which doesn't have to have anything to do with actual proximity in my experience; it's more about comfort. This is an easy routine to fall into. Branching out takes a conscious effort, which usually proves to be worth it in the end.

I'm not implying that having your go-to watering hole where 'everybody knows your name' is a bad thing at all. It's the alternative that's just so good. And so easy to miss out on. Sometimes these life changes, like moving and getting married, help us see a new side of things...

Living downtown in Canton for 3 years prior to our home purchase, we had our spots. More of them than we have now, but we had our spots. Red Star, Dead End Saloon, Hudson Street Cafe, Mahaffeys, Three..., Waterfront, Kelly's, etc. etc. We knew the 'tenders and fellow bar-goers. We knew the specials, both food and drink. They knew us just as well. With no kids, no dog that had to be walked to do their "numbers", no mortgage, we had little responsibility outside of work making it very easy to be a regular, meet up for happy hour, and eat out almost every night. Sounds glorious, doesn't it? And it was ---  in that time and in that space.

But all good things come to an end, as they say. And thank god new interests file in right behind 'em. Otherwise we'd be bored out of our minds. All of us.

Now we have a house that is our home. We are proud of it and spend more time there than anywhere else. A difference from renting and paying someone else's mortgage. A big difference. Do I miss the corner bar stool at Red Star on the occasion? Absolutely. We just go down to Fells, which is  4.5 miles aways, and scratch that itch when we need to. Do I miss seeing my girlfriends more frequently and conveniently? Of course. But now, it seems, our time we do have together is a bit more meaningful in a lot of ways. Instead of meeting at the same ol' places, we venture out in new neighborhoods --- even in the COUNTY, which some of you might shutter over. :) Or we just stay in and share the surroundings of our Carter Ave Mecca.

Those of you that shuttered over my 'county' adventures, also probably think I'm lame, and have a possible case of the olds after reading this (and a few of my earlier posts -- see Changes), but it happens to everyone. Just wait. And when that day comes, I'll be showing up on your 21212 zip coded front porch with a house-warming bottle of wine, ready to check out your new digs, help you decide on your living room paint colors you're debating over, and meet your husband-worthy man candy.