Sunday afternoon drive in the country

I spent four hours on Sunday driving around, getting familiar with the landscape--geographical, historical, demographical, and otherwise. The pictures below are what I was able to photograph while trying not to compromise on my driving abilities. The only casualty was picture quality.

A civic building--the courthouse perhaps?

I have a desk. I love it. Simple and effective. This is the first time I've felt that I have sufficient and organized work space.

Outrageously pastoral. And timeless. And green. And beautiful.

Near an overlook on the river. The rail cars seem to be there permanently; an excellent reminder of remarkable legacy.

The high level bridge. My bus sits in that traffic.

My noble steed. Many thanks to Pennsylvania law for not requiring a front license plate; mine now sits in my garage. Now I just need to cover the two holes it left in the front bumper...

Next weekend is Labor Day weekend. Time for a longer trip. Suggestions?

A few photos

My apologies, faithful readers, for the absence of posts. As it turns out, moving to a new city, starting graduate school, and not having internet at home makes it rather difficult. At last, however, I offer a few pictures. This is (supposed to be) part one of a series chronicling my transition to a new life here in Pittsburgh. Enjoy!

August 10, 5:00am: departure. Mom and I drove out together.

I love driving. I love driving cross country. I love open roads. I love driving cross country on open roads. Through blazing sun and heat...

...through wind and rain.

A side trip to Lake Erie. A simply couldn't drive past without getting my feet wet. I was going to swim, until I got a closer look at the water.

First glimpse of Pittsburgh.

The High Level Bridge near my apartment. Note the barge.

Rivers are a new phenomena to me, at least, ones that aren't lined with concrete.

The river used to be completely lined with steel mills. This is one of many monuments to those mills left in place by whoever redeveloped the land.

My front door.

Doherty Hall, Carnegie Mellon University. I will be spending a lot of time here.

In the U-Haul, eating lunch outside Ikea.

Thanks for looking!

Status update

For all my avid fans:

- We (Mom and me) arrived in Pittsburgh on Thursday. The apartment I took sight-unseen was AWFUL, so I talked with the manager and broke the contract. I cannot begin to describe what a discouraging start this was to trying to settle in Pittsburgh.

- My current residence is a Holiday Inn.

- I'm moving to a new place on Wednesday.

- Today was spent taking my car in for necessary service and driving a U-Haul all over Pennsylvania. If you're ever looking for a way to relax, I do not recommend driving a U-Haul through Pittsburgh. But before the driving we parked in front of the old apartment to intercept packages I had ordered, before the disgruntled property manager could get her hands on them. Sitting in a utility van half the day spying over the windshield definitely made me feel like a crook ("Home Alone" style, perhaps).

- In my new apartment I have my own GARAGE; the true passage to manhood. All the idiot writers I read in high school said you have to kill something before you're a man. It's not true. You just need a garage. Inside I do not even have room for a dinner table (seriously. If you come to my place for dinner we will "recline" like in New Testament times) but in the garage I will have power tools, sports equipment, muscle car posters, and plenty of clutter.

- Last and most important, GOD IS GOOD!! This has been a less-than-ideal start to The Pittsburgh Experience, but God is always, always there whenever I turn to him--and all the rest of the time, too.

Best. Classes. Ever.

My schedule for the fall:

- Engineering molecular cell biology

- Introduction to polymer science and engineering

- Graduate surgery for engineers

Sweet.

Fast post

Scattered travel notes, writing from beautiful Middleofknowwhere Nebraska (and I mean beautiful- this state is amazing):

1. Utah is gorgeous. That stretch of I-70 ending at Green River is desolate and jaw dropping.

2. I have a brand spanking new crack through my windshield. Bummer.

3. Back entrances to hotels are invaluable for getting your bikes into your room discretely.

4. Dairy Queen is a life saver.

5. Jean-Luc (my car) performed valiantly carrying a heavy load and two bikes externally mounted over the Rockies...but I've never driven so slowly in my life.

Time for bed.

Richard

Goodnight, Irvine

I'm moving out of Irvine seven hours from now. Except for four years elsewhere, it has been the geographic location of home since I was a few days old. My parent's house will always be a place called home, but now I'm looking forward to making a new home in Pittsburgh. That endeavor begins tomorrow.

The car is packed. The check-list is checked. My room of 23 years is strangely empty. All the practical is taken care of. But whether I am ready- that is another matter altogether.

"Goodnight, fair well, and amen!"

Directive

On the brink of moving to Pittsburgh, I today read this word from God to Jeremiah:

"Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land."

I take delight knowing that:

1. God is very, very good at getting our attention;

2. God's word is simultaneously terrifying and encouraging, and...

3. ...God's directions are intensely clear.

Overheard

J: I would have done terrible in Old Testament times.

R: How's that?

J: I don't know any curses!

Thoughts on packing

I'm trying to sort my worldly possessions into boxes, cheaply, quickly, compactly, and perhaps even entertainingly. My feeble cries denying (or at least denouncing) my own materialism have been stifled under a mountain of books, socks, coffee cups, and power adapters. The original plan to grab my french press and bike and jump in the car heading east has been replaced with organization, boxes, phone calls, and all other manner of responsibility that threatens to make my adventurous side revolt. Lesson: taking care of all that needs to be taken care of as I move to a new city and start a new phase in life is not so easy to pair with the creativity, risks, spontaneity, and adventure that is so essential to moving well...and enjoying it.

The end.