I See, Said the Blind Man

Every morning I awake to the same thing. No, not my alarm, the sounds of the city. Have you ever woken up to church bells or sirens? How about both at the same time? I find it comforting and ironic in a way.

Lately, (randomly) I have been going for walks. I live right on that "line" in Worcester, and I have been told numerous times not to walk alone. I figure in the middle of the day if a person goes out of his or her way to steal my $5 and CVS card, they need it more than I do. 

On my walks, I have discovered that people in the city LOVE cats. I think cats are nice, but let's not go crazy. I see cats in the street, on porches, under cars, and even a few staring at me from bedroom windows. I guess I am more of a dog lady.

I love walking by the school when the kids are on recess. There is something about children laughing that makes me miss "play" time. I have play time too when I am surfing the Internet, drinking good wine, or watching the Price Is Right, but playing tag and having no worries takes the cake. 

Fall is my favorite season and watching the leaves change colors makes me smile. Unfortunately, this wonderful season does not last long and soon winter winds will be my new wake-up call. I encourage you to enjoy the weather while you can, take a walk, and really look and listen to your surroundings. You never know what you may see, hear, or even discover.

~ Heidi

Driving in the City: 101

I got my license when I was 16 1/2 and finally got my first car about a month ago. My dad bought me my very own 2001 Subaru Forester. I had my heart set on a 2010 Honda Civic, but wheels are wheels. Plus, the "Silver Fox" has AWD, a sunroof for days, and heated seats for those chilly winter nights.

About 11 days ago I got into a minor car accident at an intersection on Gold Star Blvd. It was a rainy Friday night and surprisingly, I was going to the movies and not to the nearest pub. The insurance people wanted to total my car, but let's just say they smartened up fast.

My friends know I don't have much experience in the driving department and learning in Worcester is probably not a great place to start. I actually avoided the highway at ALL costs until I started school at Clark. I figured going to school in the city would force me to drive, and it has. Unfortunately, s**t happens and you have to get back on the road. Driving in Worcester is a little different than driving in a small town with two intersections. People in the city like to:

• Drive fast and change lanes for fun
• Disobey street signs and traffic lights
• Walk in the middle of the street with small children
• Beep

I don't know if I will ever be an aggressive city driver, but I hope I can keep up! The Silver Fox is at home in Ipswich waiting to be fixed and in the mean time I will be walking, hitch hiking, or taking a cab.

Whatever happened to horse and buggies?

~ Heidi

Studying Abroad... in Massachusetts?

In my last post I mentioned that I was living with eleven other people, but I did not specify that seven of them are not from the US. I have always wanted to study abroad in college but never had the time or money to go through with it. I believe I found a more efficient way to dabble in the experience without actually leaving the state.

Let me lay it out for you. Miko, Sandy, and Yiki are from China, Lena is from Germany, Diep is from Vietnam, Alexandra is from Haiti, and Carlo is from Italy. Also in the house lives Ryan from Texas, Matt from New Jersey, and Beverlie who represents the Bay State with yours truly.

Surprisingly, we are all getting along great. I am not sure if it has to do with the lack of understanding during conversations or if we are genuinely happy getting to know one another. I have spent many days copying the diet of the Chinese women. FYI - none of them have heard of or ever eaten Crab Rangoon.

For the past week or so I have tried living off of rice, noodles, vegetables, and shrimp. It's not easy but if that is all you know than pizza and BBQ burgers don't seem as appealing. A few times, I have caught my Chinese housemates indulging in large bakery items from the local market. I can only tell them as nice as possible to stick to the usual in order to maintain their girlish figures.

So far the experience for me has been eye-opening and rewarding. Every day I get to learn about a country I may never get a chance to visit. The only thing about studying abroad I don't understand is how my housemates ended up in Worcester, Massachusetts. Yes, the schools here have a good reputation, but I can only hope my new friends get a chance to swim in the ocean and have themselves a Fenway Frank.

~ Heidi

"Welcome to Worcester"

Back in August, I went apartment hunting with my sister and let's just say the one bedrooms were few and far between. I would like to think of myself as open-minded and optimistic at heart, but I would prefer to live with a family from A&E's Hoarders than reside at any of those places.

Finally, I came across an old Victorian style mansion with rooms for rent. It wasn't my very own apartment, but the place was livable. At this point, I couldn't be too picky. So, about one month ago, I packed my things, started my Subaru Forester, and off I went.

I have been to NYC a few times and spent many nights in Boston (Fenway Park) But, I never lived in the city until now. Thanks to the bad economy and my lack of desire to enter the "real world", I decided to go for my Master's at Clark University. "Welcome to Worcester" said one of my ELEVEN housemates... this should be fun.

~ Heidi