Falling leaves , puppy dog tails and denim jackets

I got out of the city again because someone asked me to work. I wasn't totally sold on going back home for the second weekend in a row, since it always takes me a bit to get back into my groove into the city when I go back and forth. My dog, as well as my parents, seemed happy to have me back and I enjoyed seeing the leaves and relaxing.

I was barely home long enough to eat spoonfuls of Nutella and grab my denim jacket to bring back to school. York was very pretty in the autumn sun but I got back on the train on Sunday morning to meet my friend for brunch. We went to this adorable little cafe in south Philly called Ants Pants Cafe. I had a sandwich with eggs, ham, tomato, avocado and brie. Delicious! I would recommend it as a treat, because it's a little pricey but even the coffee was a memorable aspect. I'm also happy to have my denim jacket, now it feels like fall.

    

Take me out of the city

It's hard to explain to people how boring the city can be. Don't get me wrong, Philly is full of so much dynamic and amazing culture that one can never see it all.But the city never changes - hardly any trees to change colors, a smoggy atmosphere and general dullness. I was so grateful to go home for the weekend and see the river, hike up some rocks, and drive on some dirt roads. Nothing helps the soul like a weekend of exploration and chilly fall days.

Brother in the city of brotherly love.

Last week was pretty low key as far as my school work went. However it got pretty lonely here, which tends to happen following a visit from Sam. It's not only that I miss him, which I do a lot, but it's also that having a loved one here helps fill in the emptiness. The white concrete block walls and hard linoleum floors feel less harsh with love filling in the cracks.

So it was very nice this weekend to get a visit from my little brother, Chris. I haven't blogged about my little brother much before, but him and I are really close and have always sort of been each other's support since we were really little. Since life at our house is hectic right now and I haven't been there to help, the poor guy has kind of been a little stressed in all the new adjustments. 

After he got off the train, we grabbed some food truck food in West Philly. I got some Carribean soul food and he got a cheese steak  I was excited to get the chance to show him around the city - take him on the subway for the first time, his first train ride, his first cheese steak and his first concert. I reluctantly took him to my school's homecoming concert, which was Big Sean. I'm not much of a rap music fan but I know Chris has been wanting to go to a concert since forever and my parents haven't quite found the time.

Museums and fall weather.

 Sam was here, again...Not as though I'm mad about it. His visits never seem quite frequent enough though they happen about every two weeks. I actually am so distracted in the mean time that it seems like it's only a few days between visits. This weekend we were fortunate enough to have lovely autumn weather and got to see great friends. The very cool part was that the Smithsonian was having Free Museum Day. Living in Philly, I am fortunate enough to be close to a bunch of museums - we decided on the Academy of Natural Sciences. The area there is really pretty with a big fountain in the middle. Of course we had to go to Rittenhouse afterwards and get our hot dogs from Underdogs.

Saturday night was quite chilly so we got coffee and hot chocolate from Seven Eleven to cuddle at the Bell Tower. Talked about dreams and stuff and took in a wonderful night in the city. So we wandered through the city until it was time for the bus to pic up my boy and whisk him away to western Pennsylvania. 

Now I'm left to write this paper about revolutionary women and their view of marital institutions - hope everyone gets to have as great a start to the week as I do!

Smiles, Morgen.

Twin Peaked

My life hit a tragic moment yesterday; I finished my favorite TV show.

I always fall for these shows that were cancelled too soon and therefor am inevitably heartbroken. Like the time I finished watching all of Arrested Development and wondered how I would live without seeing George Micheal's life develop any further. Now, there is no more episodes of Twin Peaks left for me, no more Billy Briggs and Shelly Johnson, no more Donna and James drama, most depressingly no more Agent Dale Cooper. The problem with fiction, whether it be TV or a book, is that it ends because it can't last forever. I hit this same emotion every time I finish a really good book and realize I can't go back to that world because it doesn't exist. This seems dramatic; I know. But don't you remember when you were reading The Great Gatsby and then it ended and you still wanted to talk to Nick just a little longer. Or when Lord of the Flies is over and nothing quite felt resolved. We get caught up in these wonderful worlds of optimal whit, romance, intrigue or whatever we seek but then have to remember that reality isn't that way. Boo.

Sam's coming this weekend, so I think I'll survive my withdrawal from Twin Peaks.

Have a good couple of days, smiles, Morgen.

Pumpkin frozen yogurt and planning a future

The weekend was spent mostly with my lovely roommate, and getting some good time to think about what I'm doing with my life. Friday afternoon was spent in Rittenhouse Square with pumpkin frozen yogurt. Can I just say how excited I am for everything to be pumpkin flavored for the next few months, I love it! I wandered around the West Philly/University City area for most of the day on Saturday, spending some quality time with myself and eating Indian food.

I finally did some hemming and started a scarf that Sam picked out the colors for, which I worked on all day yesterday while watching Twin Peaks after my homework was done.

This fall weather makes me feel a little more serious, like I need to be figuring something out and I need to have a plan. So I'm sure within the next few weeks I'll try to over-think it and plan my life out, which will undoubtedly change by next year. For now, I've come into my own as a Women's Studies major who is interested in gaining experience in sex-positive sex education. I'm hoping to start looking for internships soon. It's comforting to atleast have an idea to cling to as far as what I want to do.

Smiles, have a good week!
Morgen

Home [bitter]sweet home.

As I rode my train, that I almost missed, from Philadelphia to Lancaster I was half-listening to a podcast about Marxism. I was mostly thinking of what going home would be like, and making a point o picture all the details of home I could remember. It's only been three weeks since I left home, but the distance of time and space has caused my memory to blur. 

My brother and his girlfriend picked me up from the station, as I glanced at Downtown Lancaster which had at one point been my source for doses of city life and cultural knowledge. Now it just looked calm in comparison to the constant bustle of Philadelphia. In a hurry I tried to catch up with my brother and explain some of the happenings of living in Philly. When we pulled into the neighborhood that had been home for the past 13 years, I was overcome by deja vu and an uncomfortable confusion. I had thoroughly enjoyed growing up here, but as I walked into my house I realized it wasn't really quite home anymore. Everything was familiar, from my dogs jumping into my lap or the site of my bed. But at the same time, everything had moved on in my absence. My bedroom was covered in my mom's study materials, the bathroom had been redone and there was nobody home to greet me. It was at that moment that I realized I didn't really have a home anywhere, this house was only home in concept and my dorm was only home in practice, but nowhere has the complete feeling of home. 

I moved on from this realization, and worked a shift at work before being reunited with the boy. The following day we trekked out to Sam Lewis Park, which was the location of our second date, and a couple other poignant moments in our relationship. In the same way home had gone away, so did our ties with York. The park still has romantic ties, but as Sam said, I'm now part of Philly, not York, and thats my association now. 

 

We went to dinner with Sam's parents and then went to our spot at Maple Donuts. In all the craziness of things not being the same as they used to be, I can promise that the donuts were still equally delicious!

Thankfully I also finally got some DIY supplies so I can go back to doing-it-myself, in the form of yarn for christmas crocheting projects. Also, got to try my hand at cheese making with my dad - we made our own mozzarella balls! It was a lot of fun, but we over developed our cheese and it turned out a little more firmed than we wanted it. I would love to get to explore more cheese making sometime when I actually have a kitchen!