Movin' Out (Marin and Brian's Song)
The start of something new
Pittsburgh! The home of Duolingo, my favorite hockey team, and Brian’s literary master’s program.
Beginning a new life in a new city is exhilarating, nerve-wracking, shocking, and every other adjective you’d like to use to describe it. We left (not far, not forever) friends and family from two states to be here, on our own.
On August 5, Brian and I hauled piles of clothes and books into our little basement apartment in Shadyside. And here, we create.
We create our life, our memories, this essential part of our story. Though it’s scary, though it’s still unknown, we still have lots of material to work with.
First Impressions
My parents visited several days after we moved in, so we got to be a little touristy before we could call ourselves residents. We took the Duquesne Incline up to Mt. Washington for the best views in the city. Downtown Pittsburgh, you look gorgeous from up above.
The history of the Duquesne Incline (and the entire city, for that matter) is fascinating. Deep Scottish roots, blue-collar, and so kindly welcoming. Giant churches, art-deco, and gothic architecture. Bookstores and coffee shops are almost on top of each other. We discover something new to be enthralled by at every block.
Speaking of Bookstores…
There are SO many that we've been exploring and so many yet to explore. When we visited back in July, we wandered into White Whale in Bloomfield. The creative displays, immaculate music choice, and excellent perks of a bar, coffee counter, and pastries all made for an A+ experience. Their oat milk latte was to die for, so if only for that, we can’t wait to go back.
Shadyside Books and Cozy Corner are adorable used bookstores right in our neighborhood that greeted us with “Pay What You Want” and $5 book carts. Of course, we could not resist. Books are my weakness.
Food and Drink
Our neighborhood, Shadyside, is ripe with food and bevy options, so we don’t have to go very far to find something delicious. (Plus, it’s all walkable, which is such a relief because of limited street parking spots.) I think we’ve been to Urban Tap three times in the span of a week. Their draft list is very extensive, and their happy hour deals are hard to beat. Who doesn’t want a $5 cosmo and large soft pretzel at 4 p.m.?
Brian’s parents visited this weekend, and we tried Soba, a Japanese restaurant and bar on Ellsworth. We also arrived just before their happy hour ended, so I had the best $9 glass of Pinot Grigio from Veneto. The rest of the crew got highballs and a mai tai. Bargains all around. The soba California roll and Brian’s short rib bao were delightful.
The Search for Top Chai
I’m on the hunt. A chai latte with oat milk is one of my favorite drinks, and given the outdoor temperature, I like it hot or iced. There are a million coffee shops, and a million variations of this drink, so I’m trying to find my favorite. Not the best, per se, but my favorite, which might be the best depending on your perspective and how much you trust my opinion.
I haven’t delved too deeply into this process, but I’ve tried two so far: Jitters and Redstart. Jitters was my preferred of the two. I’ve gotten it twice since I tried it.
Headfirst into the Unknown
I moved to this city without a lead on a job and still haven’t found one yet. I moved to this city to be with my fiancé as he strives toward his goal of becoming a professor of English. Yes, I’ll find work, something to pay our rent and utilities and keep me occupied, but I’m also here to live. I’m here to live in the city I’ve wanted to live in since I thought about carving a future for myself. I’m not going to let a difficult job market stop me from living and loving.
It’s absolutely scary to not really have a plan or a set career yet. I’m not used to not having a plan. As a Type A person, this freaks the ever-living daylights out of me.
But I’m learning, and I’m growing.
Everything, up to this point, has come easy to me. No, or very little, adversity. This moment of my life being difficult is only a learning experience. It’s what I make of it that counts.
Cliché, I know, but it’s the only thing getting me through mountains of job applications (and rejections).
Despite the tough uncertainty of it all, I’m feeling optimistic about our time here in Pittsburgh. I’ve started living with the love of my life. We cook meals, dance as we clean up dishes, binge-watch Matt Smith’s Dr. Who seasons, and wait for Rings of Power Season 2 to be released. We drink tea and coffee and watch Premier League Football. We sleep and stretch and take walks and play Wii Sports Resort. We meal plan and prep. We do laundry and make the bed. We talk about our future, our present, and our past over glasses of red wine and plates of pasta.
We get each other through moments where we feel stuck.
I couldn’t have a better partner to help me feel motivated and positive when all things point the opposite direction. I know I’ll be stepping up once Brian starts master’s level classes on August 26.
This city is so fun. I’m so happy that our journey has taken us here.
