Starting Life in New Haven

For those of you who missed the memo, my husband, Daniel, and I moved to New Haven, CT, last week. I’ve never lived anywhere other than Kansas before. I’ve traveled — quite a lot for someone my age — but until last week, I had never actually packed up all my stuff and left my home. Because of this, being in New Haven feels a bit like being on vacation. That and the fact that we are only here for two years while Daniel does his Masters (maybe seven, if he sticks with Yale Divinity School for his PhD, too). But so far, it all still feels temporary.

I like New Haven  well enough so far. We’re living downtown, so there are dozens of restaurants, shops, and plenty of “touristy” landmarks within walking distance. Our building is old, but full of that colonial city charm. The city is gorgeous, especially Yale’s campus and the areas near the beach. I can already feel the architectural inspiration seeping into my writerly pores and begging to go into a story one day.

While living in the city is convenient, after living in somewhat rural areas my entire life, the city is definitely an adjustment. Seeing people everywhere and hearing constant noise (not loud noise, mind you, just general city buzz in the background) is incredibly strange to me. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the sound of cicadas.

Also, everyone in Connecticut (and every state I’ve encountered in New England) drives like a complete idiot. Kansans – imagine Missouri drivers only 10,000x worse. My motto while driving has become, “You better have insurance, asshole.”

We’ve met a few members of Daniel’s cohort, and they are all lovely people. Two of them were nice enough to help us move in (in other words, they are saints), one gave us a wonderful campus tour, and two more hosted us for dessert (How did they know the way to my heart is through chocolate?). Knowing that we have them around has been a big help and makes the city feel a bit less lonely.

Perhaps the best part of our new living arrangement is that Thomas has officially graduated to being an inside kitty. He has embraced this role, spending his days lazing around and demanding his belly rubbed. His favorite spots are the windowsills, and I hope this is because he enjoys the breeze and not because he misses being outside. But as I type this, he’s giving himself a bath on our futon and perching on a pillow like it’s a throne — so he must not be too upset.

All in all, New Haven is proving to be an eclectic and fun city. There are so many places we want to explore, and I cannot wait to share this adventure with Daniel and with all of you. If I didn’t already have an established blog, I would probably start one to write about all the shenanigans this “country girl” gets up to in “the big city.” Something about Dorothy and The New Haven Green, maybe.

Anyway, I better get back to Desertera before my characters completely forget who I am. Have a magnificent Monday and share your moving stories and all the feels below!