#we moved

There are things to do! There are museums and fun and good restaurants (as well as not so good restaurants, we haven't had a great track record but it's a big city, you're gonna hit the crappy places sometimes) and they actually have pastrami in the deli at the store without my having to traipse across town. We hit the public museum two weeks ago and barely got through the first floor, we hit the art museum last week and same. I think our next one is the kids' play around with science type place. And the Renn Faire starts in a few weeks, too. There's just so much to do!

I'm getting better about driving on the freeway and major highways because I have to do it. I still don't like it, I still hunch and tense up, but I'm getting better about it.

We went to Pride the first weekend we were here, and it was amazing. All the beautiful people, and they were all beautiful. I saw puppy masks for the first time in RL. Saw the leather folx and they were amazing (seriously, their gear was so well made). Saw so many couples, older couples that you could tell had been together forever, and it just made my heart sing.

Hanging out in the pavilion where folks were doing aerial silks and drag queens came out and did routines in the afternoon, and the music, and I saw -- I'm not sure and I don't want to make a mistake, but there was an older handicapped person with rainbow flags on their wheelchair tapping their feet and waving their arms and it was just -- it was beautiful. And everybody being so sweet to my baby when they would tell folks "You look beautiful," or "I love your look," was fabulous. All my love to the person handing out trans flag "Free Hugs" stickers and gave me a big hug -- I still have my sticker, lovey.

But for right now, I'm good and I'm having a great time, and not just because I'm with @palaquinn 95% of the time. I never thought I could like living in the North. I never thought I could let go of the South enough to do so.

I know this enchantment won't last. I know there will be bad days. But even just hanging out in the AirBnB, sitting on the balcony and watching the traffic go by, watching the world go by, I'm content.

I don't belong here in the North.

Yet.