What is nice is having a lot of things to do. There are a lot of shops and restaurants (that are also always coming and going, but hey at least there's variety). Plenty of community events like every other Wednesday in the summer they were showing movies in the town square. I can easily walk to the library and what I think is a community pool (I haven't confirmed that).
For the most part, I'm only social when I need to be. I go to the gym 2-4 times a week and talk to other people in my classes. My roommate has me going to the cafe she works at on the weekends. I also sometimes go out to eat.
Now, eating at a restaurant by yourself is a little intimidating. I say intimidating instead of other adjectives because I like eating by myself. I like not having to cook and getting out of the apartment. It can be a little intimidating because it's just you by yourself surrounded by other people who are with other people. Often I am the only person going solo to the restaurant. This is why, most often than now, I end up at the local bar. I feel it's less awkward.
Having a local bar isn't really like how it's portrayed on TV. It's not even where people really know your name. There always seems to be someone new when I go to the bar. Hell the only people who I know are consistently there are the bar tenders. Who knows, maybe they are judging me for going every other weekend by myself to a bar. At least I get to watch sports (still don't have cable).
You also never know who you might meet at the bar. I've had conversations range from how the new Suicide Squad movie looks to debating the finer points of the art of pizza making. I might go to the bar because I have nothing better to do with my life (plus happy hour), but I stay because I'm having fun. Hopefully I'm not making too much of a fool of myself.
Heck just this past weekend, I got into a conversation with a group of people at the bar. One of them gave me an apple to "keep the doctor away". I'm not sure how drunk this person was (though believe me, he had been long before I showed up), but he was certainly interesting to talk to.
If being a local means you've lived in the area for 5+ years, then I haven't accomplished that yet, but I am very familiar with the town. I walk to and from the gym without worrying too much. Sometimes I even recognize people and say hello. Well, I've been around long enough to see business open and then turn around at the end of the season and close. I'm a resident of this town, I feel like a local.
It might not be the towns shown on TV, but it is home.
Until next week.
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