Maslow's Hierarchy

So we are all set up in the new apartment in Ithaca! Cayuga Heights, rather - it's own little village up the hill from campus. It is a lovely old neighborhood with quiet streets and burgeoning gardens.

I just had to post a few parting photos of the 'Burg - a view of downtown, as seen from Luigi's (I think part of what you see may be the Masonic temple).

I thought often about Maslow's hierarchy while packing up. Yarn, of course, factored in at a pretty basic level for me. Because I was uncertain how much room there would be in the van for everything I wanted to bring, I divided my clothes, books, and yarn into "Must Take Now," "Can Come Later," and "Maybe Eventually" piles. In the end we were amazingly able to get ALL THREE divisions into the van, thanks in no small part to Terry's amazing packing skillz! (Note that the colloquial spelling indicates that this is an eXtreme sport...)
Last night and today were spent unpacking, arranging, and putting things away. We agreed that it feels really good to have this small apartment - it could be described as simple, basic, or minimal, but it doesn't actually feel like that at all - it feels very comfortable and nice. We have so many nice things (including some lovely bon voyage gifts from Tara and Gretchen!)! Being here really makes our house in Harrisonburg seem enormous, even though it is only 1000 sq ft which is less than half the average size of a single family home in the US today (avg is 2500). This 2-room apartment is fully adequate for the two of us - it really helps redefine my sense of what is "enough." I'm so glad that Terry is supporting me in this new adventure, and that it really feels like we're doing it together.

Tomorrow orientation begins in earnest, and Monday is registration. Tuesday and Wednesday are essentially free days, so now that things are pretty settled in the apartment I should be able to get a good deal of reading done! And if I knit a few rows between chapters... well, it's stress relief, right? :-)

I'm already planning the Kishers' October visit... :-)