A list of things I do not miss, and some I do

For today- since I’ve been away and am feeling less than 100% creative- a list.

16 Things I Don’t Miss About Massachusetts, and 6 Things I do

1. I do not miss the traffic
2. I do not miss the despair
3. I do not miss hating people (specifically other drivers)
4. I do not miss dying inside a little bit, every day, as I sat in a cubicle
5. I do not miss the tolls
6. I do not miss wondering which bill I would pay late, and how much that would cost
7. I do not miss hearing the upstairs neighbors scream at their 5 children
8. I do not miss ordering food at least 2 nights a week because I was just too tired to cook
9. I do not miss the commute
10. I do not miss the noise
11. I do not miss the lack of backyard hammocks. And the lack of backyards at all
12. I do not miss the crazy right-wing radio station that was the only one with reliable traffic reports
13. I do not miss needing traffic reports to know if I should stop and get coffee because I would be sitting still for at least 40 minutes
14. I do not miss the lack of places to plant things (see above #11 for the lack of backyards)
15. I do not miss wondering who else had walked barefoot on the carpet in my living room
16. I do not miss the way I felt in Massachusetts

But...

1. I do miss wondering “Which Target should I go to?”
2. I do miss the Gulugulgulugulugulu Café
3. I do miss tacos
4. I do miss the grocery stores. Wayyyy better grocery stores
5. I do miss Steve. And Marie. And Laura, and JD and Darius and Greg and Jeremy and Kristen, and Megan (in my mind, you are still in Boston) and Colin and Sean and Julie and Jim and Jeff and Tana and Justin and Emmanuel and Russ and that guy who would read bad poetry at the Gulu and wear the big white sunglasses while he did it and even, yes, I even miss Gerard
6. I do miss the ocean

Seems pretty clear the decision was the right one. Next time, the list of things I love about being in Vermont. What won’t be on that list? Getting lost on a dirt road on top of a mountain. What will? Walking home barefoot and tipsy from the Snowshoe Pub in the middle of the street and knowing that I was absolutely, 100% safe, and absolutely, 100% happy.