In the Hood

Every time John and I discuss moving, or buying a house, I have a whole bunch of mixed feelings.  

On one hand, I love my neighborhood.  I have my secret writing nook in the park, I know where all the drinking fountains are, all the shortcuts, the photogenic spots.  My neighbors are great.  I know which hair salon is the good salon.  I've made friends near by, and have established habits.  The schools are top notch, the stores are at a convenient distance, and the view is just beautiful.  We are close enough to the city but not too close.  We live on a hill, so exercise pretty much comes with the deal.  And we have deer!  Actual wild deer just casually strolling up and down the place.  It's great.

But then again, I wonder...are we missing out on something?  An adventure, maybe, or a chance to experience a different life than this in the suburbs?  We could move to Austin, TX for a year, or even to Sydney, Australia.  Have be become too sedentary, too reluctant to take risks?  I don't know, and it bothers me when I can't make up my mind....

Still, with two small children, adventure lies in the everyday moments, so I find consolation in the idea that I have made major life changes in the past, moving to a different country - twice!, and countless times to different towns, starting anew and building everything from scratch.  And that's only adventurous to a certain extent, but mostly it's a pain in the butt.

Here are some shots from my current home, Belmont.  Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

P.S. I have no idea what swells after dusk in the Starbucks at the Carlmont Village Center, but judging by this sign, it ain't good.