Trade offs

There are many differences between Arlington and Missoula. Things I like better about Missoula and things I like better about Arlington. Recently, however, my i-neighbors account has blown up with posts about burglaries in my neighborhood. My own car was broken into about 2 months ago. That's one of the bigger differences between Missoula and Arlington. Crime.

It's about trade offs. I don't get to go to the store and leave my car unlocked or window down, (as I did in Missoula), but I do get to call the police department and be told they don't come out for car break ins and if I want to make a report, I .... wait a minute. That's not a trade off.

I get a little confused when I visit family in this gorgeous part of the world. It smells great. You feel better. You WANT to ride a bike or go hiking all the time. My family are decent, hardworking people. Some are wonderfully eccentric. I am proud to be part of this family. The distance doesn't seem to matter after a couple of days. I feel like I belong. (I can express all these feelings because none of them will ever read this).

After while, though, something seems to be missing. Do I really miss the horrible air quality days when we're told to stay inside? No, that's not it. Do I miss the traffic? No, but to be honest, Missoula has its own traffic nightmare as in Reserve Street. Perhaps I miss the sweltering heat or the occasional gunfire? Naw.

Of course what I miss is home. As corny as it sounds, home IS where the heart is and my heart is in Texas and a part of it currently resides in Rhode Island. So, until we all live in the same area, which likely will be never, I will do my best to make all family reunions and to visit in Missoula more often. It is my second home, after all.