We're losing you forever to Boston?

I made the announcement to my friends last night.  That I'm not moving back to Portland after school is done.  The title of this post was the response I got from my dear friend Clinton.

I was out with them and it was the same fun times, with laughter and hugs and sexual innuendos.  But as I laughed and hugged and made inappropriate references, I looked around and realized that these temporary reunions are all I get with them now.  I can keep generally up-to-date on the major life events, and many of the minor ones, through Facebook and Twitter.  Those sites have truly helped me keep in touch.  I know many people who don't necessarily agree that the social networking sites are really for keeping in touch and claim they're more for "stalking."  I think that's true in many situations.  But when you live on the other side of the country from the people who have been your best friends for over 10 years, and in some cases more, it turns back to what I think the idea was supposed to be - to keep in touch.

But keeping in touch doesn't make it the same.  We can have conversations through messages back and forth and we can still laugh and make our innuendos.  But it's all without their hugs, their voices, the actual sound of their laughter, which in some cases is funnier than the thing that was funny in the first place (like when I do my "squeaky laugh" or when Melly does her "orgasm laugh").

I'm going to try to not make the rest of this trip as bittersweet as I feel right now.  I know the many reasons I love Boston and I know that it's the right choice for me.  We will see each other, if not as frequently.  They will visit me.  I will visit them.  We'll talk about the good and the bad and the funny.  We'll reminisce about high school and college and the fact that we've managed to grow together even while growing up.  We made it through a lot in 10 years.  Many people wouldn't have made it this far.  High school friends are supposed to be the ones you grow away from.  Not the ones that become your family.  But because they are my family, I know we'll continue to make it.

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Butterflies?

I'm trying to decipher the meaning behind having butterflies on the mind.

I woke up with a vague memory of dreaming about butterflies.  I hit snooze and while I was drifting in and out the dream kind of continued, which led me to think about this post by Ginger, although my head kept trying to rename it "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (which I've never read, nor have I seen the movie).

The last song on the radio when I finally quit snoozing and got up was "Bullet with Butterfly Wings." Okay, so the song itself says nothing about butterflies but the title does.

The first song coming through my headphones when I got on the T to go to work was Mraz's "Butterfly."

So now I'm pondering various butterfly metaphors.

Butterflies in the stomach? I don't know, maybe...

Chaos theory? I'm going to hope chaos isn't brewing on the horizon...

I can't think of what else. Anyone know any other possible meanings?

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Quick overview

I'm strapped for time this week what with trying to pack for my trip back to Portland and do laundry and work on my applications for summer associate jobs since the first round is due on Friday...but I'll give you all an overview of my week after Monday...

Vanessa and I went to see free Shakespeare in Boston Common on Tuesday, and we discussed how she hates the floor plan of the apartment in her current complex that was going to be ours.  We made the decision to look for other places in Quincy after determining that yes, I'll need to move my car out here, but since it's primarily her complaint she's paying for half the moving costs.  I miss my car anyway.

Wednesday and Thursday were relatively uneventful, we found two other places to look at in Quincy and made appointments.

Friday we went to look at one place, it's a 3 floor condo for only $1900 a month (if you're outside of the Boston area, take a look at average rent around here before your jaw drops) and it's absolutely HUGE.  The living room, dining room, and kitchen take up one floor, then the second floor is just a bedroom and bathroom, and the third floor is, again, just a bedroom and bathroom.  Laundry facilities included in the apartment.  Also a working fireplace and a balcony off the third floor bedroom.  The second floor bedroom, which we had determined would be mine if we picked this one so that the entire third floor could be Vanessa's "cat free" space for her allergies (yes of course I still get to use the balcony), is so big that I can fit a queen sized bed, nightstand, desk, futon, chair, TV and stand, and probably a couple bookshelves...and not be cramped.  Vanessa's is a tiny bit smaller but still quite huge.  And lots of closet space everywhere.  Our only issue was this one had a broker's fee which was supposed to be equal to the rent, but we were told that was negotiable so we figured if we wanted this one we could utilize our lawyer skills and see what we could do.

Saturday we went to look at a place that would have looked very big if we hadn't seen the other one first...but as it was it looked tiny in comparison.  It also cost more for less space because it's in a fancy-schmancy upscale community and everything is brand new.  We liked the pretty, shiny, newness of this one so this created an internal debate that both of us had trouble reconciling - be practical or be fancy?  We finally settled on practical and are going for the gigantic one we saw on Friday.  We discussed arguing points for what we wanted to do in regards to the brokers fee and settled on asking for half off as well as asking for a payment plan to pay it over 6 months or a year or something instead of all at once.

Also on Saturday the final book in the Twilight series came out so when I got home from apartment hunting and making our determination as to which one we would choose I pretty much read the rest of the weekend.  Finished the book.  It was fantastic.

Sunday Vanessa contacted me and told me she talked to the broker and that we can have the apartment as long as nothing is wrong on our applications (shouldn't be).  She also successfully negotiated the brokers fee to exactly the terms we wanted.  Half off, paying it off over the course of a year.  It will just be tacked on to the rent.  Works out that each of us just has to pay an extra $40 each month.  So basically Vanessa is going to be an awesome negotiator.

Now I just have to move.  And I have a two week trip back home in the middle of "packing month."  Why did I plan that again?  Oh, right, because I wanted to see my friends and family more than once a year.  Oh well...I usually delay packing until the last minute anyway, it's not like this will be any different.  If I had planned right I would have started weeks ago.  Only damn thing I'm not OCD about.  Probably because it's a pain in the ass so I just throw shit in boxes wherever it will fit...unless it's breakable.  Then I'm careful.

Oh well.  This is hopefully the LAST time I'm moving for at least the next three years.  I'm tired of being a nomad.

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