You CAN go back.

I touched on this subject briefly the other day, but I cannot explain how much I am looking forward to my pending change of address.

This morning, I did some work downtown. It was a cool, overcast morning, and for the first time all month, it actually felt like October. The breeze was blowing the crisp autumn air right up Smith Hill, whipping the flags flying in front of the state house so that they were almost perpetually straight. After a bit of work, I headed over to Thayer Street for a little breakfast. There wasn't much time to eat, so The Creperie was out (as were the four places on Wickenden that I passed on my way, which were so busy that the waiting crowd was spilling out on to the street). I opted for Au Bon Pain, which I'm normally not a fan of, but for some reason, I sat there eating my egg and cheese sandwich (on ciabatta, by the way, which I've never had, but I might be slightly enamored with) and drinking my tea (which it is finally cold enough for), I just felt - I dunno - home.

It really made me miss all the little things that I used to do. And it made me look forward to doing them again. 7am runs down Blackstone Boulevard. Fresh asparagus ravioli from Venda. Sunday brunches on Hope Street. Post-Sunday-brunch sangria sessions at the Flats. Time-wasting at the Brown Bookstore. Frisbee at India Point. Caserta pizza runs. Hangs on the Hot Club deck. And so on.

I guess all this was triggered by the issue of Rhode Island Monthly I read this afternoon. There were two features that really struck me and kind of instilled all this renewed nostalgia. First was an article about the best features of Federal Hill. Which, incidentally, was mostly about food that I can't eat. But still, I spent the first two-and-a-half years of my tenure in Providence living on the hill, and it brought those many nights of Sicialia's stuffed pizzas back from the recesses of my memory. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it... The second story was a reflection written by Buddy Cianci. In it, he talked about his time in prison, the things that he'd learned and thought about while there, and the changes he's made in his life. While unrelated to my current infatuation with Providence, he said something that really struck a chord with me. Cianci said "Success is measured by reaching into your soul and saying 'What [would] make me happy, and how do I achieve those goals?'" and it really justified the self-reflection that I've been dabbling in as of late.

It's going to be nice to be home. Even though I wasn't ever far away, it still felt like I was. See you in a couple weeks, my dear city.

And, now for no particular reason, here is a lolruth.