& that's the way life goes

Another fabulous guest post today!  You lucky readers   Today’s post is from Ashley.  She’s moving back to Michigan and I’m super excited about it!

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Hi all! I’m Ashley, a current NYC resident and future unemployed Ann Arborian. While I’m about to make the move back to the Mitten State, I’ve lived in NYC for the past 6 years. In those six years I’ve developed a few routines, some I won’t mind leaving behind–like the 80 block treck to get my groceries at the only inexpensive place in the city (a place considered too expensive in the suburbs), and some that I will miss when I leave in a month.

I will miss many things, like the daily walk I take to and from work alongside Central Park, my favorite bagel place that refuses to toast their bagels, the sushi from the gourmet grocery store 3 blocks from my apartment, the dog-themed restaurant that lets us stay as late as possible, running around the reservoir, the cool brownstones in my neighborhood and the crazy homeless couple who knit all their clothes in bright colors that loiter near my work.

I got to thinking about this when I was helping my coworker plan out her calendar for the fall and after realizing I won’t be here for these fall plans. Last fall we developed “Football Saturdays”, where we’d bar hop to our respective college team’s bars: Blondies for Michigan State Spartans (my team!), the Gin Mill for the Florida Gaters and Tonic for the Ohio State Buckeyes, depending on who was playing. Despite the two big ten rivals we had amongst us, we put our differences aside over pitchers of beer, wings and chicken fingers while sporting multiple layers of clothing, each representing a color of our team so we can switch out our clothes depending on what bar we’re at.

While I am looking forward to actually being in the Mitten State for some of the football season and may be able to even attend a game in person and chant Go Green! Go White! with like minded MSU fans, I’m going to miss the entire days spent bar-hopping across the west side of manhattan, forcing my coworkers to learn my fight song, and learning chants for other teams as well (such as the Gater Chomp and O H! I O! I feel like such a traitor for knowing that chant…sorry Sparty!)

For now I must polish up on my Michigan-hating techniques, and my defense strategies as I’m sure i’m going to get myself beaten up–or killed–when I arrive in Ann Arbor sporting the green and white in maize and blue territory.