Some Answers

Only a few people asked questions yesterday...which I will interpret to mean that I already disclose too much on my blog. I will start being far more mysterious, asap. :) I am going to focus on only one question today...because I think my answer will be a long one!

Anonymous asked: I recently came across your blog and notice you live in B-Town. Coming from big cities (So Calif and Minneapolis) I wanted to ask you what you like most about this town. There are many wonderful things, but it's an adjustment if you're not used to living in a small town...let alone a University town. I'm trying to adjust for my husband's sake!!

Dear Anonymous,

So glad to see that I have a local reader! Hello! First of all, I also moved here from a big city - Washington, DC. Also because of my husband, who is attending grad school at IU. And yes, it is a huge adjustment - I definitely agree with you there! However, there are a few things I love about Bloomington.

First of all, there's no traffic! I love getting in my car and driving to my destination. It only takes me 15 minutes to get to work - 15 minutes!!! In my car!!! And parking is free!!

Second, part of me likes how I can drive five minutes outside of Bloomington and be in the middle of a farm. You know why? Because the farmer's market here is amazing! I have been going to the winter market for the last few months, but am eagerly awaiting the start of the REAL farmer's market next Saturday, April 11th, in the Showers Complex parking lot. If you haven't been to the farmer's market before - go!!! I'm not sure how much they'll really have this early in the season, but in a couple of months I know it will be amazing.

Third, my husband and I have recently enjoyed exploring the extensive trail system that Bloomington Parks and Rec have. We especially like the Clear Creek Trail, which you can access from Tapp Road (just off of 37). It connects with the Bloomington Rails to Trails, which is really neat! Now that I'm attempting to become a runner, I hope to explore more and more of the trail system in B-town as the weather gets warmer.

Fourth, I love food! And, while Bloomington doesn't have the selection of fine dining that you'll find in a big city like LA or DC or NYC, it still has some awesome restaurants. One of my favorites so far is Farm Bloomington, which is on Kirkwood, just off the Square. Farm is an awesome restaurant! The chef makes everything with fresh, local ingredients - many of them come from his own garden. My personal favorite menu items are the "World's Greatest BLT" for lunch, and the "Bacon and Egg Pizza" for brunch. And yes, they have amazing bacon. I hope you like bacon, too. Another fave "restaurant" is the Bloomington Bagel Company. A Jewish girl in upbringing and food choices only, I love a good bagel. BBC is the best! I highly recommend their everything bagels with veggie cream cheese. And they have a mean Lotsa Lox sandwich. My husband and I love sushi...and were a bit worried about finding great sushi in Bloomington. However, we have found sushi love at Japanee on Walnut, just past 7th. You can read more about that here. Okay, I'm trying to be brief here, so I guess I'll stop talking about food. Well, no, one more comment. We just had an amazing brunch at The Uptown the other day - I had a creme brulee french toast that was to die for. Highly recommended. :)

Let's see, what else do I like about Bloomington...oh! This is a big one. I love how friendly everyone is. I know it is a midwest thing, because I'm from Michigan originally and - what can I say? We're friendly. It's that whole midwest hospitality thing. After living in DC for three years, I had forgotten how nice people can (and should) be. It is so refreshing to be back in the midwest for that reason!

In summation...I know that Bloomington isn't a big city. Trust me, I know. And I miss DC a lot - I miss the places we used to go, eat, shop, the cherry blossoms, everything. Every time I walk through the College Mall, I think to myself...they call this a mall??!! Where is the Nordstrom??!! And the J.Crew??!! But at the same time...I plan on relishing these few years. There is a certain stress that goes along with living in a city, a stress that just isn't present here. When I drive to work on a traffic-free street, my mind is clear. And when someone holds the door open for me and says good morning, I smile and respond, and I'm happy. If my only concern for the next two years is that my smile lines will intensify, well then...I guess that's okay with me.

And hey, Anonymous - if you have any other questions about Bloomington, let me know! And if you have any advice, let me know, too - I'm still new here, so I'm certainly no expert!

Happy Friday, y'all!