9/2/25

got to see my friends after two months, I got to tell them why I was gone and get some sweet support. I have very mixed feelings about the move, it's in a year, which is so much and so little time. I'm happy to go somewhere with public transit I can walk to, I get to take the train to all the cool cities, and I can always visit my hometown. It's weird to call it that because I'm moving back to where I was born, like 2h by transit away, but it really does make a big culture difference. I've always wanted to move out of here, but I finally got adjusted to this lifestyle, and it's gonna be weird having it flip on me. the easiest example i can give is how everyone dresses, my town is very alternative, it's weirder to find someone wearing monochromatic outfits than a full face of piercings. future town is very...preppy? and no hate to that, but it makes people look at me weird when I wear my closet there. i feel like that alone shows the difference of where i'll be living, going from a place where you smoke on the curb with whoever shows up, to a place where there's street cleaning every week??? the little devil on my shoulder (13yo me) whispers to me "small town boy goes to big city for college and to help his nana....what will he find??" but actual adult me thinks "how am i going to move all this stuff? will keeping in contact be maintainable? how am i going to manage school with the move, what's the timing going to be?" so i'm filled with whimsy and dread. that's why i've created a bucket list for my current town. gonna get all my memories in.