Oh undefined audience, how I’ve neglected you so! I didn’t forget about y’all exactly, I only forgot that […]
Author: michellejunot.com
Dear Winter, The reds, oranges, and yellows of November are grey and blue and soft shades of brown […]
Winter isn’t just about the cold. We layer up to protect our bodies from the cold, the wind, […]
Winter has come and humbled me. And if I’m being honest, it arrived months ago. I’ve just been […]
In August 2011, I moved to Baltimore to the general astonishment (and in some cases, horror) of my […]
I have this friend—we’ll call her Amanda (because that’s her name). Amanda and I have been compiling a list of things we ought to do in Baltimore this summer:
- Maryland Crabs
- Quality Time with My New Apartment & Pool
- Actually Move Me into My New Apartment (check)
- Try Raw Oysters (check)
- Paint Amanda’s Apartment
- Sushi Dates (check)
- Wedding Crashing
- Movies on the Pier (did not go as planned…sorry Amanda)
- Woodberry Kitchen
- Fleet Week (check although I’m scarred for life thanks to Martha, Amanda, and Ian)
- Pirate Ship Party
- Fells Point Ghost Tours
- Dress as Cows and Get Free Chick-fil-a (missed opportunity)
- Run a 5k
- New York
- Orioles Games
- Date an Oriole
- Washington, DC
- Adventures. Lots and lots of adventures. (in-progress)
- Massages
- Re-learn German (Amanda) and French (Me)
- Steak Night
- Make Pottery
- Get Through Summer School (big check!)
- Artscape (slightly disappointing, but complete nonetheless)
- Get Our Lives Together (in-progress)
This isn’t our complete list, but I think you’ve got a feel for our summer goals. And it’s important that you understand our goals and a bit about us, because I’m about to use this people-watching blog to give you a glimpse of a Saturday in July.
A few of you recently asked me about the blog and why I haven’t posted in over a month. I’ve tried several times to write a new post, but I never get past the initial, “so I haven’t written in a while…” Today, as I was driving around an area of the city I will soon call home, I realized why my blog and I are giving each other the silent treatment:
My summer has demanded a lot of internal exploration of self and a bit of life reorganization, if you will. It’s been a wonderful, selfish season so far, and I’m quite enjoying dating the city. (I mean that in a figurative way, Dad. I don’t actually mean I’m dating everyone in the city, as that’s entirely impractical.) But because I’ve been focused mostly on myself and “getting my life together” as Amanda put it on our summer to-do list, I haven’t had much to say about the world around me. (In fact, I’ve even had a lot of trouble speaking to the world around me. My friends have really enjoyed my incoherent sentences about dull activities that only tumble out of my mouth around attractive men. I mumble about laundry and grocery lists and the weather. I just can’t stop talking about the damn weather.)
What I’m trying to say here is that lately, I find it difficult to comment on the behaviors of others in any capacity beyond, “I wish Baltimore had a better driver’s education.” And that’s just true, not blog-worthy. On the other hand, I don’t want to bore you with any internal reflection that comes across as “woe is me” or even worse, “look how awesome I am” (although, I am in so many ways).
So instead of writing my typical this-happened-and-then-that-happened-and-this-is-what-I-think-of-those-things-blog, I thought some of you might like to see excerpts from other pieces I’ve been working on. (For those of you who aren’t interested in that kind of thing, I’ve sucked you in this far so you might as well just go with it.)
Dear Lexington Market
Thank you for being closed on Sundays and eliminating 98% of all walking traffic. I love being able to pull out of my parking garage and not chance hitting five non-crosswalk-using people.
With all the sincerity a letter like this can hold,
Your Across the Street Neighbor
***
Dear Girl Repeatedly Pulling Instead of Pushing Starbucks’ Glass Doors,
It broke my heart a little when you said, “How do I get out of here!” and everyone looked up at you. There’s no judgment here, but maybe you want to brush up on your problem-solving skills?
Don’t worry, no one laughed when you left, because we’ve all been there.
I May have Laughed a Little,
Girl in the Back Corner Who Dropped All Her Stuff After You Left
***
Dear Attractive Man Running Down Charles St. with No Shoes on Your Feet,
I see you aren’t against a good running outfit, but you don’t seem to see the benefit in clothing your feet. Based on this evidence alone, I can only assume you’re from Southern Louisiana too, and you realize that some things are more fun barefoot…
Mais Couillon, I understand dat but ya can’t be runnin down de Charles St. wit no shoes, non. Dat glass is gonna get ya feet, cher.
Get you some shoes, Cher, an keep wearin dem cute shorts,
Single Southern Girl with Glass-in-Foot Experience
P.S. How’s ya mom and dem?