settled....

Last few weeks, I have been fairly busy and life's been fairly eventful!

The trip to DC was insightful as I learnt more on American history and got more educated on modern art. Corcoran was the most impactful place and the high point which influenced my thought process !

I arrived to Newport at my friend's place on a Sat evening two weeks ago from DC. As soon as I arrived Om had a plan in place already. We went out for a movie to watch "Shootout at Lokhandwala" and thereafter to the city (New York is referred to as "the city" hereafter for this blog). In the city, the idea was clubbing.

The journey wasn't rough but wasn't pleasant either. What I mean by that is it wasn't rough because the roads aren't bad from DC to NY and it wasn't pleasant because I experienced typical city driving (cutting lanes, burning tyres, speeding, etc).

I feel my car's perfect for the TriState area (NJ, NYC, CT). I say this because with this car, I can't get caught in speeding and also, the roads are in horrible shape in NJ. Besides, I go to work using the Path and hence, I dont need the car at all. I might think of selling it as the insurance in Jersey City is 2.5 times what I paid in Pgh. Also, I dont have utility of the car as much.

I spent two weeks at my buddy's place before I moved to my new place nearby. I didn't want to leave the locality as it was pleasant living there. Everything is so accessible. If I crave for Indian food then I can hop on to Path train and reach Journal Square for India square in 2 stops (I didn't want to live there as the locality is unpleasant). I must admit that searching a place in nyc/nj area is a challenging task. In NYC, the prices are steep and there is no value for money and in Jersey City heights, they are cheap but the area may not be livable. However, at Newport, you find a good balance of price and locality. Also, the access to the city is close and convenient. Finally, I get assessed per NJ state tax and hence, it pays off.

My current place is a penthouse and it has 2 rooms for me of which I plan to utilize as a movie theater and the other one as a summer bedroom. In winter, the movie room becomes the bedroom. Thanks to my high-school buddy for suggesting about the deal and letting me at his place till the time I could find a good apt! The community is cool with good amenities. As a pleasant surprise, I met someone at my work who is my neighbour! Such are the modern times - you meet your neighbors at work and not your housing community !

With this, I would conclude that I have settled at my new place now and hopefully, I would have a pleasant journey with my current employer.