Town & Country

Last weekend was a weekend where we had a taste of suburban life. Saturday was gray and drizzled rain all day long. It feels wonderful on those days when we have nothing pressing to do, nowhere to be, and no one to see, where we just curl up on the couch in the morning with our furry ones and quietly peruse the internet, or "study" (Chris may be the only one to study on the iPhone. Is he studying the entire time? I don't know.) Though it's just down-time, it never feels like wasted time. We did venture out in the middle of the day for lunch in the neighborhood (our favorite burrito place, Viva Burrito). We got caught up in the worst of the storm on our way home and had to jog the rest of the way- we didn't bring our umbrellas! In the evening we headed out to Newton to meet some friends for dinner. It's always a fun time, but driving in the pitch dark rain, felt a tad too…solitary to me. 

The weather was much better on Sunday (though the picture above wouldn't suggest it!) and we spent the morning looking at a home in a town in the suburbs. Yes, this somewhat out of character, but as you may know, I have had, for many years, the pull of finding a "country house." It's well documented. 

Truly, we are city people. I like the bustle, the noise, the lights, the almost impersonality of it all. I LIKE to walk or ride my bike and zip around when I need to. It's also amazing to have other transportation options at your fingertips. I enjoy the many dining out options and all the small businesses and shops. But living in a city has its tolls as well: the lack of space, the parking, the neighbors for goodness sakes. As of late, I find myself asking if we're too old to be living in the city. Are we just becoming more intolerant of these tolls? I always imagined us to be city people with a country house, for times when we need an escape. Maybe someday, I suppose. But lately, I read old posts like the one above and think: could that be us... everyday? Grilling, smiling, playing with dog (who is just. so. happy. in a huge yard), and having friends over for card games? Ok, maybe that won't happen every day, but you can see…there are benefits that seem so attractive. It's easy to romanticize about a suburban life. Especially when it comes in a package like: a home across the street from a fruit and vegetable farm, horse stalls/barns down the road, all together with a quaint little town center near-by…

We took Harry and Chelsea with us on our country jaunt. They mostly slept in the back seat while we drove around. We got out on the campus of Wellesley College so they could stretch their legs and romp around. It was just too cold, though! We walked a bit, but the fields were too muddied from the rain from the previous day. I think they enjoyed the outing, but they quickly looked at us, shivering, anticipating getting back into the car. Perhaps an indoor dog park is what the city needs. I'd count that as a reason to stay. 

Above photo: winter walk at Wellesley College.